We launched "Stop The Forced Feed," a research-based multi-channel campaign to raise awareness of how social media algorithms serve harmful content to people without their knowledge or consent and to call for policy reform around harmful algorithms.
The initiative advocated for transparency, accountability, and user choice through the launch of the Cybersmile PROTECT framework, which was published as part of the campaign. The framework called for content with consent as a basic user right.
The success of the campaign saw Cybersmile secure meetings, submit our evidence, and raise the issue directly with a number of key stakeholders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the European Commission, Ofcom, Members of Parliament, and the Commissioner for Human Rights, to name a few.
At the heart of the campaign was Algorithm™, a fictional food brand created to show how harmful material such as racism, misogyny, hate speech, and graphic violence is "force-fed" to social media users. Everyday grocery items were reimagined with labels and packaging that brought to life the campaign research, with each item representing a participant in the study and detailing real content served to them on their social feeds.
These products were packaged into "Food HARMpers" and delivered to policymakers, creators, journalists, and public figures to spark meaningful debate around algorithmic harm. Pop-up retail activations in Tesco brought the concept to members of the public, turning a complex digital issue into something tangible and thought-provoking.
Alongside the creative work, we worked with behavioral scientists to carry out practical testing and nationally representative research, revealing how quickly harmful content can appear in feeds, how little control users feel they have over their online experiences, and how they would like to be able to control their algorithms.