Surviving the Tyranny of the Algorithm

A 10-point guide to taking back your reality.

Algorithmic tyranny has arrived, in the form of systematic biases, opaque and secretive internal processes, and, most recently, reverse algorithmic capture – a process the Trump administration is using to reconfigure our online algorithms in order to gain control of and restructure our entire information environment and choice architecture in order to favor the official regime narrative and suppress dissenting points of view.

Most chillingly, this can all be done from a distance without ever touching the code itself, and while maintaining plausible deniability — therefore avoiding accountability or blowback.

Things are pretty dire, but we can still fight back and stop this before it goes even further.

It’s time to reclaim your reality.

This practical and common sense toolkit is made just for that purpose. The guide is designed to help you navigate the increasingly weaponized digital environment we exist in and teach you how to resist algorithmic control over your own information.

Billionaires should not be getting richer by using your own data against you. Here’s how to stop them:

Understand the Algorithm’s Incentives

Every platform’s algorithm is designed to maximize time spent and ad revenue. It will reward outrage, fear, and spectacle, not facts. When you’re being served information that an algorithm, ask yourself:

“Am I being informed, or am I being emotionally manipulated?”

Then act accordingly.

Don’t Trust the Default Feed

Social media platforms curate your feed based on engagement, not truth. Turn off “For You” or “Home” feeds where possible. Always switch to chronological views (e.g., “Latest Tweets”) to see what’s actually being posted, not just what the algorithm wants you to see.

Also keep in mind that it is extremely easy to game social media algorithms and make it appear as though a topic is trending when it is just being mentioned by a network of fake accounts.

Search Like A Rebel

Algorithms filter your search results based on location, history, and click behavior. To get more representative results:

• Use neutral search terms (avoid emotionally loaded or partisan phrasing).

• Try multiple search engines (Google, DuckDuckGo, Brave, etc).

• Use site-specific queries (e.g., site:nytimes.com vaccine hesitancy).

• Clear cookies or use incognito/private mode to reduce personalization bias.

• Use a VPN

Diversify Your Sources—Actively

The algorithm will feed you more of what you already engage with. Break out of that trap.

Follow:

• People and outlets you disagree with.

• Independent journalists and non-algorithmic platforms (e.g., RSS readers like Feedly).

• Libraries and institutional repositories for peer-reviewed material.

Don’t Follow:

• Hyper-partisan accounts that engage in platform manipulation like follow-back trains.

• Accounts that are constantly starting fights as bait.

• Accounts that post via an automated scheduler.

• Accounts that post repetitive content day after day.

Before You Amplify

Before you share that hot take, do a few checks:

• Original source (Can you trace it to a primary document or credible outlet?)

• Date (Old stories and videos/images are often re-circulated as “breaking news”).

• Context (Is the quote or clip being misrepresented?) Use fact-checkers (Snopes, PolitiFact, AP Fact Check) sparingly but critically—they have biases too.

Reverse Image and Video Check

To fight visual misinformation pushed by the algorithm:

• Use tools like Google Reverse Image Search, TinEye, or InVID to verify viral photos/videos.

• Analyze metadata and ask “Where else has this appeared?”

• Look for tells: low resolution, double exposure, odd crops, or missing context.

Reclaim Cognitive Autonomy

Don’t let the algorithm hijack your attention.

• Turn off autoplay.

• Disable notifications.

• Set specific times to check information, rather than doomscrolling.

• Use browser extensions like Unhook, News Feed Eradicator, or Tweak New Twitter to limit exposure to feed-based manipulation.

• Read a book. A real one.

Push Back Through Transparency Activism

Support and demand:

• Right-to-know legislation for algorithms (e.g., explainability mandates).

• Independent algorithm audits.

• Pressure on platforms to open-source moderation policies and feed mechanisms.

Join or Support Decentralized and Open Platforms

Explore information spaces not governed by centralized corporate algorithms:

• Mastodon, Bluesky, or peer-to-peer platforms.

• Open-access academic networks (e.g., arXiv, SSRN, ResearchGate).

• Community-curated platforms like Reddit (be cautious—subreddits vary wildly).

Teach Others and Build Collective Immunity

Don’t keep this knowledge to yourself.

• Talk to family and friends about how feeds are filtered.

• Host “digital hygiene” teach-ins at your school, workplace, or library.

• Share tools, not just opinions. Empower others to see the gatekeeping.

• Draw from past experiences to help people build defenses for future events please give me a minute to myself

BONUS: Join Weaponized

Consider joining Weaponized as a free or paid subscriber to:

• Engage with regular content aimed at exposing online deception

• Understand the tactics and psychological mechanisms that make it work

• Learn how to avoid becoming the next victim.

• Paid subscribers will also soon have opportunities for interactive discussions with me and will have the opportunity to discuss fee-based consultations tailored to your needs, in addition to a new paid subscriber-only series.

Final Thoughts:

At the end of the day, the algorithm is not malevolent — but it is also not neutral or benign either.

It does not serve truth; it serves engagement and bait to hook your attention.

But here’s what you need to understand: You are not powerless. Every click, search, and share is a vote. Cast yours wisely.