RegThe algorithm gives only the appearance of autonomy while covertly manipulating individual behavior, Jason Gregory said in a recent post on LinkedIn.

“The algorithm takes freedom away from people. The algorithm gives people the illusion that they have freedom of choice,” Gregory wrote. “You are being played. The algorithm is seemingly democratic, giving you the illusion of freedom, but, in reality, it is a cunning way of manipulating your mind so that you become what the algorithm intended for you.”

Gregory argued that algorithmic surveillance is not neutral—it actively reshapes psychology, leading to “a pathological state of psychological politics” that causes widespread confusion and division. He warned that this distortion creates a psychological disfigurement in the individual, separating people from what nature intended them to be.

In recent years, researchers and critics alike have raised alarms about how recommendation algorithms on social media platforms affect human behavior, influence political polarization, and undermine critical thinking. Studies show that curated content streams can narrow users’ perspectives and intensify emotional responses, often without their conscious awareness.

Jason Gregory is a philosopher, writer, and teacher focused on Eastern philosophy, spiritual awakening, and psychological freedom. He is the author of Spiritual Freedom in the Digital Age and other works on inner liberation and the nature of consciousness.