Negative consequences of information gatekeeping through algorithmic technologies: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper

Devendra Potnis, Iman Tahamtan and Luke McDonald

Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, 2025, vol. 76, issue 1, 262-288

Abstract: Rarely any study investigates how information gatekeeping through the solutions and services enabled by algorithms, hereafter referred to as algorithmic technologies (AT), creates negative consequences for the users. To fill this gap, this state‐of‐the‐art review analyzes 229 relevant articles from diverse academic disciplines. We employed thematic analysis to identify, analyze, classify, and reveal the chain reactions among the negative consequences. We found that the gatekeeping of information (text, audio, video, and graphics) through AT like artificial intelligence (e.g., chatbots, large language models, machine learning, robots), decision support systems (used by banks, grocery stores, police, etc.), hashtags, online gaming platforms, search technologies (e.g., voice assistants, ChatGPT), and Web 3.0 (e.g., Internet of Things, non‐fungible tokens) creates or reinforces cognitive vulnerability, economic divide and financial vulnerability, information divide, physical vulnerability, psychological vulnerability, and social divide virtually and in the offline world. Theoretical implications include the hierarchical depiction of the chain reactions among the primary, secondary, and tertiary divides and vulnerabilities. To mitigate these negative consequences, we call for concerted efforts using top‐down strategies for governments, organizations, and technology experts to attain more transparency, accountability, ethical behavior, and moral practices, and bottom‐up strategies for users to be more alert, discerning, critical, and proactive.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24955

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:76:y:2025:i:1:p:262-288

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=2330-1635

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology from Association for Information Science & Technology
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().