How search engines and search behaviour influence online polarisation

Browser extension

Shenja got the idea for the project after hearing of a similar initiative by Queensland University of Technology. Inspired by the Australian team's approach, which involved the development of a neutral tool capable of shedding light on the way search engines work, she suggested creating a similar browser extension at the University of Twente.

"The result is an interdisciplinary project, on which several university departments work together to investigate how search engines influence digital polarisation," explains Shenja. "Our extension gathers user data without looking at the users' search histories or asking them to enter additional search terms. We send our own search terms via the extension. That often involves a cluster of words linked to a common theme, such as migration and refugees, so that we can analyse the search engine output shown to users. That helps us to understand how search engines filter and personalise information."

Initial findings

According to Roel, the project's early findings indicate that users don't all see the same search results, even when they search for the same things. "Although the top results provided by the search engines are often uniform, the lower-ranking results are more diverse. That influences the way people consume information, because most people only look at the first few results in the list."

It also seems that there are correlations between the results shown to users and their sociodemographic characteristics, such as age, income and sex. As Roel explains, "Older, more affluent users often get different search results from younger, less affluent users, for example. We also see that different search engines yield different results, suggesting a degree of personalisation and possibly commercial drivers behind the selection of results. Although we aren't yet analysing the substance of the search results shown to users, it's clear that search engines do influence information diversity."

Awareness workshops

As well as gathering data, the research team is organising workshops to raise public awareness of the way that search engines work and how they influence users' access to information. "The workshops will be held in libraries and other places during January, February and March 2025," says Shenja. "They are intended to make people aware of the filter bubbles created by the use of search engines, and to encourage people to think critically about the information they see."

Next steps and further research

"We plan to continue analysing the data we've collected and refining our findings," Roel continues. "In the future, we'd like to make the workshops more widely available, partly by converting the teaching materials for online use. We're also working on a dashboard that will allow users to play with the collected data so that they understand more about their own search behaviour and the results. The dashboard will take the form of an interactive platform that's open to the public."

Collaboration with SIDN Fund

The team behind the Digital Polarisation project came into contact with SIDN Fund when the Fund called for proposals linked to the theme of Getting a Grip on Polarisation. Shenja recalls, "We submitted a proposal for the further development and nationwide testing of our browser extension. The Fund agreed to support the work financially, meaning that we could go ahead with it. Through the Fund, we also made contact with organisations such as Filter Bubble, the Institute for Sound and Vision and Cybersoek, leading to some valuable exchange of ideas. For example, we got advice on how to adapt our workshops to take account of the great diversity of the participant groups we encountered in practice."

Explaining the background to the Fund's involvement, Programme Manager Mieke van Heesewijk says, "The Digital Polarisation project addresses one of the most pressing issues of our time: how digital technology contributes to social division. At SIDN Fund, we understand the importance of research into things such as search engine algorithms, which determine the information that people see. The University of Twenty's project combines innovative technology with social awareness, and provides practical ways of getting a grip on how search engines shape our world views. We're proud to support this interdisciplinary study and, by doing so, to play our part in building a more inclusive and critical digital society."

Participating in the study

Although the study formally ends in March 2025, you can still participate by downloading the browser extension from digitalepolarisatie.nl. As well as public workshops, the team provides dedicated workshops for the staff of individual libraries and businesses. The workshops are designed to make more people aware of the role that search engines play in digital polarisation, and to encourage them to be more critical of information they come across online. If you'd like to get involved, you can register on the project website.