Politics at your fingertips The interplay between users and algorithms in online political information search

Search engines have transformed information access by putting a wealth of information, right at our fingertips. While many individuals trust search engines to filter political information for them, the search results encountered may vary substantially from one person to another. The personalised nature of online search raises significant concerns about its implications for democracy, potentially contributing to today’s political crises like polarisation and exposure to misinformation. While much of the scientific and popular debate has focused on the potential of algorithms to create “filter bubbles,” search engines also provide users agency, allowing them to actively shape their information choices. This dissertation offers a novel perspective by putting the crucial yet largely underestimated role of search queries central. It examines how user characteristics, user choices in search queries and algorithmic personalisation shape exposure to political information and news in search results. Furthermore, it explores how innovative computational methods can be employed to study the dynamics between user choices and algorithmic decision-making. Overall, this dissertation contributes to the ongoing debate on the role that users and algorithms play in shaping access to political information in the digital age.