What Is Weblining Undemocratic?

Andrews believes that weblining is “undemocratic” because it sets limits on participation in a civic democracy. As a result of data aggregators, it is likely that one will only see the things that aggregators believe one wants to see. For example, world news may disappear from someone’s Yahoo! News homepage because it appears they showed more interest in health and fitness articles. Through data aggregators and weblining, everyone sees a different, narrow range of articles. Andrews and others propose the same argument that a shared view of the world is needed in order for democracy to work. As a result of personalization and self-interest, a shared view of the world is highly unlikely. Additionally, weblining limits opportunities and reinforces stereotypes, which is another undemocratic aspect.
This weblining can inhibit one’s ability to obtain a job or a good credit score, and companies are increasingly associating a person’s offline self with their virtual doppelgänger. People could also be falsely categorized based on their zip code and other superficial factors. For example, if someone’s zip code is identified as being part of a poor neighborhood, it may be automatically assumed that the person is also a part of that demographic. Traditional print and television advertising ensure that everyone is seeing the same headlines and information. Weblining and behavioral analysis pose a greater threat to democracy because it is easier to skip over trending headlines as a result of