The results of the research found that tweaking the platform’s features had an impact on the content users were shown on their feeds, but it did not alter their political ideology or opinions of the candidates.

This was one of the conclusions found in the first four papers published as part of the US 2020 Facebook and Instagram Election Study, a partnership between Meta researchers and independent external academics that was prompted by accusations that Facebook and Instagram algorithms amplified misinformation and political polarisation.

In order to shed light on the topic, the researchers analysed data from millions of Facebook and Instagram users and experimented with the algorithms of those who agreed to take part in the project.

The team’s conclusions pointed out the existence of political echo chambers on Facebook, where conservatives and liberals are exposed to vastly different opinions and sources of information. These echo chambers could be changed...