Resisting Oppression

Oppression can take many forms. Algorithms of Oppression reveals how modern technology exerts detrimental influence on the oppressed. As is demonstrated in other readings, Algorithms are not a neutral tool composed of numbers and mathematical formulations. It is full of human biases that are harmful to other people. When used as a tool of power, the harm becomes true. This reading focuses on the intersection of some of such biases – race and gender. It discusses in detail how algorithms reduces a racially and gender minority group to sex objects and capitalize on it, helping the oppressing to keep exploiting the vulnerable oppressed. The reading reveals that the classification of the oppressed as exotic sex objects, which is deployed by the most powerful search engine in the world, is actually from pornography in the U.S. Racial and gender prejudice, discrimination, and injustice are all at the core of it. It is unbelievable and outrageous that such abhorrent human biases are coded into the algorithms of the most powerful search engine around the world. Such invisible power that the oppressed are subject to is overwhelmingly prevalent that social injustice is increasingly exacerbated with the development of technology and an increasingly connected global economy. Resisting such vicious power is an onerous task for everyone in the society who cares about the public good.