Recommender System

Software that uses algorithms to decide which content a user sees and in what order, based on the user's characteristics, inferred interests and behaviour. Ofcom, which uses this definition in its work on protecting children online, says such systems are generally designed to make a service more appealing by showing content the system judges likely to interest the user. It also says evidence shows recommender systems are a key pathway for children to encounter harmful content, and that they can narrow the range of content a user is shown over time. Businesses that run feeds, marketplaces or content platforms should expect regulators to look at how their recommendation design shapes what users see, not only at individual items of content.