filter bubble

American  

[fil-ter buhb-uhl] / ˈfɪl tər ˌbʌb əl /

noun

1. a phenomenon that limits an individual’s exposure to a full spectrum of news and other information on the internet by algorithmically prioritizing content that matches a user’s demographic profile and online history or excluding content that does not.

   My roommate streamed so many arthouse flicks on my account that she confused the filter bubble—the recommended movies page thinks I’m some kind of fancy-pants intellectual now.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause (a person) to have such a limited online experience through the predictive algorithmic filtering of content.

   We are being filter-bubbled into homogeneous peer groups by social media platforms.

Etymology

Origin of filter bubble

Coined by Eli Pariser (born 1980), U.S. political and internet activist, in The Filter Bubble (2011)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

filter bubble

I also wondered, as Claude adds more memories to my digital file, am I unknowingly creating my own filter bubble?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026

Now, I was alone with my ads, in a filter bubble of one.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 31, 2020

There’s a terrible feedback loop that Eli Pariser called the filter bubble, that’s the thing that makes fake news possible.

From The Verge ● Sep. 10, 2017

What’s different about Correctiv is its ability, with help from Facebook, “to get into the filter bubble of the people who are reading fake news,” says Kramm.

From Time ● Aug. 9, 2017

"It is a filter bubble, and that's OK," says Mr Smith.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2017