Imagined futures of social media recommendation innovations: A systematic review of patents

Social media is having a significant impact to our personal lives and to our societies. Recommendation algorithms are at the core of the engines of social media platforms, and are known to mediate online speech and shape society. In this research we add one window of insight into the imagined futures of social media platforms by systematically reviewing software patents related to recommendation innovations filed by the social media companies. After data retrieval and screening based on the PRISMA-protocol, we ended up with 190 patent documents. The objectives of the recommendation innovations proposed in the patent documents were qualitatively analyzed by using an ethical speculation lens. Our results give little reason to expect a future where user-centric or transparent design would win over manipulative and ethically concerning inventions in the context of social media recommendation algorithms.