Andrew Lewis’s quote, “If you are not paying for the product, you are the product,” summarizes the functioning of digital platforms. YouTube (excluding premium membership) and similar social media platforms provide free services to users while collecting user data to feed their algorithms and enhance engagement through personalized content and targeted advertising strategies (Iena, 2023:838-839). In this context, although users do not make direct payments, the revenue model is fundamentally based on extending the time spent on the platform.

Algorithms, combined with technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, offer businesses the opportunity to analyze consumer behavior and personalize marketing strategies. However, these technologies are not only innovative tools but also have an aspect that includes ethical issues and manipulative effects. The algorithms behind digital technology, for instance, analyze users' interests to keep them on the platform longer while also giving them the feeling of “missing out,” thereby influencing purchasing behavior. Furthermore, presenting content based on users' emotional states, violations of data privacy, and elements of psychological pressure bring the ethical dimension of algorithmic manipulation into question.This study explains the theoretical foundations of algorithmic manipulation, its potential negative effects on consumer autonomy, and its capacity to influence consumer behavior.