The Web Cannot Guarantee Content Diversity by Design: The Case of A/B Testing

The Web Cannot Guarantee Content Diversity by Design: The Case of A/B Testing | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The Web Cannot Guarantee Content Diversity by Design: The Case of A/B Testing Matteo Ottaviani This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6784820/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The Web has often been portrayed as the most promising platform for the free dissemination of content of all kinds. In this vision, heterogeneity and diversity in content distribution are seen as essential guarantees of a democratic digital environment. However, in practice, the Web is largely managed by private corporations that not only provide access and services but also actively shape and adapt content to individual users. This dynamic is most prominently observed within social networks. Given this hierarchical and profit-driven structure, a critical question emerges: Can the Web, in principle, serve as a fair and open framework for the free dissemination of content? To explore this question, I construct a synthetic framework—an agent-based model—that simulates a social network structure. This model is designed to assess the impact of algorithmic mechanisms used by web companies on collective user behavior. I focus specifically on a widely employed strategy in the digital economy: A/B testing, a method used to enhance user engagement and optimize content delivery. In this study, I present the effects of a prevalent content selection mechanism that challenges the ideal of a pluralistic and democratic World Wide Web. My findings indicate that A/B testing has a profound influence on the qualitative dynamics of information dissemination within social networks. By design, its implementation systematically undermines the persistence of content heterogeneity and diversity across the Web, inexorably favoring content polarization. Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing/Computer science Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing/Information technology Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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