Merkel takes aim at internet companies' use of algorithms

German chancellor Angela Merkel has aimed a shot in the direction of major internet platforms and their use of complex algorithms, saying that they can be utilised to block transparency.

Speaking at a media conference in the city of Munich, Merkel said that people using the internet have the right to be made more aware of how the information they see via the web is channelled.

Companies such as Google and Facebook employ algorithms to adjust content to suit each individual user, something which has received scrutiny in the past.

"I'm of the opinion that algorithms must be made more transparent, so that one can inform oneself as an interested citizen about questions like 'what influences my behaviour on the internet and that of others?'" Merkel said at the conference.

Algorithms determine how search engines operate for each individual user and can be highly secretive tools.

"Algorithms, when they are not transparent, can lead to a distortion of our perception, they can shrink our expanse of information."

Critics have claimed that people will not be able to get balanced news from their social media sites - the most-utilised platform nowadays - as search engines are more likely to provide news and stories which suit their interests already.

"The big internet platforms, via their algorithms, have become an eye of a needle which diverse media must pass through to reach users. This is a development that we need to pay careful attention to," Merkel asserted.

She went on to call on such internet giants to release more information about the privately-held algorithms that are being used.

Merkel was speaking as she prepares for next year's federal election in which such systems employed by internet companies can have an effect on exposure and how candidates are being represented through various media.