Search engines, social networks and online media are part of the everyday life of many people who search for information on the internet. Often, these digital media are controlled by algorithms whose exact functioning is unknown to the users. For example, the result of a Google query or the Facebook newsfeed algorithm is based on the individual usage data that the internet companies concerned have previously collected from the users. There is a possibility that personalised, algorithmic mechanisms influence or even manipulate the formation of opinion. Traditional media companies are also increasingly relying on algorithms.

The aim of the study was to examine the influence of algorithms on opinion formation. An online survey among stakeholders, a representative survey and interviews with first-time voters complemented the study.