The Risks of Industry Influence in Tech Research
2025/10/22 by Joseph Bak-Coleman, Bak-Coleman, Joseph, Cailin O'Connor +5 · 12 voices · 3 citations
#cs.SI #cs.HC
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2510.19894
Abstract
Emerging information technologies like social media, search engines, and AI can have a broad impact on public health, political institutions, social dynamics, and the natural world. It is critical to develop a scientific understanding of these impacts to inform evidence-based technology policy that minimizes harm and maximizes benefits. Unlike most other global-scale scientific challenges, however, the data necessary for scientific progress are generated and controlled by the same industry that might be subject to evidence-based regulation. Moreover, technology companies historically have been, and continue to be, a major source of funding for this field. These asymmetries in information and funding raise significant concerns about the potential for undue industry influence on the scientific record. In this Perspective, we explore how technology companies can influence our scientific understanding of their products. We argue that science faces unique challenges in the context of technology research that will require strengthening existing safeguards and constructing wholly new ones.
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- 2. Here's the paper itself: arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894 [bsky, 169 points, 2 comments]
- I'm excited to finally have a preprint of this paper up, a few years in the making. In it we argue that industry-driven manipulation of social media research is well underway and that norms and instit [bsky, 144 points, 4 comments]
- the tech industry is a threat to scientific knowledge, academic freedom and evidence-driven industry regulation. the industry systematically captures and/or interferes with and undermines independent [bsky, 72 points, 2 comments]
- This recent preprint on tech industry influence over external research is compelling. Beyond documenting the low rate of industry-funded researchers actually disclosing that fact, the paper points out [bsky, 14 points, 1 comments]
- In previous work we argue this (and other) mechanisms are likely employed by tech companies to influence research on their products 7 arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894 [bsky, 9 points, 1 comments]
- I did a small test on the assertions made in my advisor’s new paper on industry influence in tech research (arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894 ; great read btw), and what paper they cited for those assertions/c [bsky, 4 points, 1 comments]
- Tagging a few people I think might be interested in this paper: @caseynewton.bsky.social @mmasnick.bsky.social @zey.bsky.social arxiv.org/abs/2510.198... [bsky, 2 points, 0 comments]
- How do social media feed algorithms affect attitudes and behavior in an election campaign? Science 381, 398–404 (2023), 10.1126/science.abp9364]. J. Bak-Coleman, C. O’Connor, C. Bergstrom, J. West, T [bsky, 2 points, 1 comments]
- I think you likely have more expertise in this area that me but I recently read this paper by @jbakcoleman.bsky.social that covers a lot of what you’re talking about and I found it really insightful d [bsky, 2 points, 1 comments]
- arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894 Similar findings to earlier work by @responsiblesci.bsky.social [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]
- How do we get unbiased research on tech when platforms own all the data? A new paper outlines the risks of industry influence and pushes for solutions, like better data access and funding for independ [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]
- #cs.SI #cs.HC Origin | Interest | Match [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]
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