The future of the world cannot be expressed in binary code, it is in the diversity of its voices

Introduction

Under conditions of the interconnected world, digital technologies have changed the forms of consumption, production, and exchange of information. However, this progress causes profound cultural issues, especially for such coun- tries as Mexico and Russia, identity of which is facing pressure fr om algorithms of foreign platforms. This essay discusses how social media recommendation systems dominated by American and Chinese companies homogenize content, promote dissemination of disinformation, and create information bubbles, thus restricting true cultural exchange. The essay also analyses language related and geopolitical barriers hindering mutual understanding between the two countries, and offers solutions based on bilateral cooperation of our countries and digital sovereignty.
Technology and culture: algorithms as digital barriers

Such digital platforms as Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and Google operate based on algorithmic models meant to maximize the time users spend online that

prioritize viral and polarizing content. According to results of a research by Oxford University (2023), 67 % of users in Latin America and 58 % in Russia consume news mostly via social networks wh ere algorithms prioritize simplified and sensa- tional content. This results in two main challenges:
Cultural bubbles:
Algorithms create echo chambers that reinforce stereotypes. For example, in Mexico, content about Russia ohen comes down to historical (Cold War) or polit- ical (the Kremlin) stereotypes. At the same time, its literary richness or traditions of indigenous peoples of Siberia are ignored. In Russia, algorithms prefer negative news about Mexico associated with drug trafficking while its cultural heritage, such as traditional cuisine or monumental painting, is hushed up.
Strategic disinformation:
Such platforms as TikTok and X (Twitter) were used to disseminate false nar- ratives. During the operation in Ukraine, Reuters Institute (2022) recorded bots promoting conspiracy theories in Mexico, which affected Mexicans’ perception of Russian society. Simultaneously, manipulative content about Mexican migration was distributed on the Russian platform VKontakte without contextual verification.
ASYMMETRIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Cultural exchange between Mexico and Russia faces the following structural barriers:
Language and distance:
Only 0.1 % of Mexicans speak Russian (the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico, 2020), and the Spanish language is neither that popular in Russia. This circumstance forces us to rely on automated translations (Google Translate), in which cultural nuances are ohen being lost. Geographical remote- ness reduces the opportunities for educational and tourist exchange.
Limitations of the Media:
According to Statista portal (2023), 90 % of streaming content in Mexico is ensured by American companies (Netflix, Disney+). In Russia, such platforms as Start and Okko promote local cinematography, but their coverage is minimal on the global scale. This is how the imbalance is established, in which Hollywood defines the “world culture” by sidelining indigenous peoples.
TOWARDS DIGITAL CULTURAL SOVEREIGNTY

Three main areas of activity are suggested to solve the challenges mentioned above:
Algorithm regulation:
Such countries as Germany, where the Law on Social Networks applies (2017), require transparency of algorithmic criteria. Mexico and Russia may take similar

measures and demand that platforms prioritize proven and culturally diverse con- tent.
Local and joint platforms:
Russia is promoting VKontakte and Yandex, while Mexico could encour- age such projects as sovereign social network creation or support joining to Ibe- ro-American platforms. Bilateral initiative of the countries, e. g. streaming portal with translated movies and books, would promote direct dialogue.
Training in informational security:
Educational programs that teach how to spot algorithmic bias and find reliable sources. The National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Moscow State University could develop joint courses on media literacy.
CONCLUSION

Rethinking of the cultural future
In 1943, Mexican muralists and Soviet filmmakers began to use art as a com- mon language in the fight against fascism. Today, in the face of algorithms that divide us, Mexico and Russia have an opportunity to lead new cultural internation- alism, in which technologies do not make us similar to each other, but enhance our unique features.
Technologies are biased: they reflect and strengthen the global dynamics of power. To protect cultural diversity of Mexico and Russia, it is necessary to ques- tion monopolies of foreign platforms, invest in national digital infrastructure, and strengthen bilateral liaisons. This is the only way to build a fair information ecosys- tem, in which algorithms serve culture and not the other way round.
There are two alternative paths: either to submit to digital bubbles or to build bridges, where poetry of Alexander Pushkin engages in a dialogue with bright brushstrokes of Frida Kahlo without any intermediaries in form of algorithms. On a canvas, where the passion of her Mexican roots intertwines with the romantic impulses of the Russian poet.