Unveiling Algorithmic Bias

Gender Disparities in Gaming and Dating Platforms in India

Bibliographic Data

ID12318192
AuthorsRahul Garg (0000-0002-0236-7370, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, corresponding author), Ritvik Aryan Kalra (International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad), Nimmi Rangaswamy (0000-0002-6544-5428, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad)
Year2025
Volume32
Issue3
Pages407-432
Publication date2025-10-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueIndian Journal of Gender Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0971-5215 • E-ISSN: 0973-0672
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/09715215251351426
OpenAlexW4414887799
LanguageEN
References cited46

Anti-discrimination is a crucial focus for researchers, policymakers and designers of technical systems. Leveraging insights from AI fairness and inclusion studies, we examine algorithmic bias and its tendency to perpetuate discrimination (Selbst et al., 2019, Fairness and abstraction in sociotechnical systems , pp. 59–68) through two case studies: one in a gaming environment and another on a dating platform. Our research on gaming explores the manifestation of toxicity, particularly its impact on gender identities. We examine the normalisation of toxic behaviours within gaming spaces, negatively influencing gendered perceptions and experiences. In the second study, we conduct an experiment on the Bumble dating platform to uncover and address discrimination within the matching algorithms, which influence the profiles shown to users as potential dates. These interactions in user discovery pose significant risks, including sexual violence and other harms, especially for diverse gender communities on dating platforms. By documenting the experiences of non-binary individuals on dating platforms, we contribute to a largely underexplored area of research. This study not only highlights the discrepancies and biases in dating algorithms but also aims to inspire more inclusive design principles that recognise and accommodate the diverse needs of genders and communities

Abstraction · Focus group · Inclusion (mineral · Matching (statistics · Perception · Sociotechnical system · Digital Economy and Work Transformation · Digital Games and Media · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI

Tools

Open DOI