Algorithmic Empowerment: The Fair Allocation of Visibility in Platformized Publics

Abstract

Ranking and recommendation algorithms increasingly allocate visibility, shaping which claims circulate and whose experiences enter public discussion. Much algorithmic fairness scholarship draws on the language of noninterference, asking whether platforms distort a neutral flow of communication. This article argues that platforms produce and allocate visibility, defined as the institutionally produced probability that a communicative act will be delivered to an audience. Drawing on scholarship on epistemic injustice, the article develops the Algorithmic Empowerment Principle (AEP) to articulate platforms’ epistemic responsibilities as gatekeepers of public attention. The AEP holds that platforms with gatekeeping power owe structurally disadvantaged groups a fair opportunity for epistemic participation. When background inequality measurably reduces a group's fair chance to reach an audience, platforms should allocate a reasonable additional share of algorithmic attention to its speech. The article then develops duties of epistemic redress covering ranking design and visibility audits, while requiring platforms to justify their choices to affected communities.