Haaretz Investigation: Social Media Algorithms Highlight Netanyahu

A four-month investigation by the Haaretz newspaper in Israel has revealed that social media algorithms prominently feature Benjamin Netanyahu by a wide margin compared to his rivals and place him at the center of user feeds.

While the coalition crisis in Israel continues, the Haaretz newspaper, known for its opposition to the Netanyahu government, published an investigation into the functioning of social media algorithms. Following the feeds of fictional Israeli accounts for four months, the newspaper found that Netanyahu was three times more visible on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok compared to his rival Gadi Eisenkot.

According to the research, social media users do not need to follow, like, or engage with politics to encounter Netanyahu's posts; Netanyahu stands out as the most visible figure in the feeds of both political camps. While Dr. Tehilla Shwartz, Head of the Democracy in the Information Age Program at the Israel Democracy Institute, stated that opposition figures posting about Netanyahu also contribute to placing him at the center, the research findings show that claims of censorship by right-wing politicians when it comes to Netanyahu are unfounded.