The Algorithmic Trap: Netnographic Study of Filter Bubbles and Echo Chambers in the 2024 Regional Election Hoax
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Abstract
The spread of misinformation on social media intensified in the lead-up to the 2024 Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) in Indonesia, with the potential to influence public perceptions and political decision-making. Personalized recommendation algorithms, combined with users' selective information-seeking and interaction behaviors, foster the formation of filter bubbles and echo chambers that limit exposure to diverse perspectives. This study aims to analyze the role of filter bubbles and echo chambers in the dissemination of misinformation related to the 2024 Regional Head Elections on social media. A qualitative approach employing netnography was adopted through observations of misinformation content and user interaction patterns across social media platforms. The findings reveal that most misinformation focused on gubernatorial and vice-gubernatorial elections, containing misleading information, defamation, and manipulated facts reinforced by images or videos edited out of context. TikTok and Instagram emerged as the primary platforms for disseminating misinformation, while accounts spreading such content exploited filter bubbles and echo chambers to accelerate its circulation and hinder fact-checking efforts. These conditions intensified social polarization, eroded public trust in information and institutions, and posed a threat to the integrity of the democratic process.
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