Manipulating search results (e.g., "Google bombing") to link specific terms with unflattering figures. Review Bombing:
Job seekers are all too familiar with the "resume black hole." To bypass AI gatekeepers, applicants have begun engaging in "keyword stuffing"—hiding white text containing buzzwords in their PDFs. The human recruiter can’t see it, but the algorithm reads it as a perfect match. It is a survival tactic, a way of sabotaging the filter to reach a human being. %E2%80%9Calgorithmic sabotage%E2%80%9D
: It challenges the "algorithmic humiliation" used for profit maximisation and the structural injustices embedded in digital culture. Decolonial & Feminist Perspectives Manipulating search results (e
As we become better at sabotage, the systems become better at detection. This leads to an arms race where platforms tighten their controls, making their "black boxes" even more opaque and difficult to navigate. If we poison the data well too thoroughly, we risk breaking the very tools that provide utility, like reliable traffic data or functional search engines. It is a survival tactic, a way of