SMU Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Chen Liang observed that younger consumers, once passive in the digital economy, are now actively resisting algorithmic manipulation. While consumer pushback may reflect distrust in the market and potentially reduce consumption, Assoc Prof Chen highlighted that platforms will continually optimise their algorithms, creating an ongoing "arms race" between consumers and platforms. This could hinder the healthy development of data applications. He explained that platforms analyse user feedback and behaviours – such as clicks and dwell time – to gauge sentiment and interest, adjusting recommendations accordingly. If users interact less or signal disinterest, platforms may offer more incentives to retain them. However, such actions might have limited long-term impact on pricing strategies and could lead to greater consumer distrust, suppressing spending. On a positive note, Assoc Prof Chen views the rise of consumer pushback as a sign of increased awareness of personal information protection and price discrimination practices on platforms.
