Stock image sites have been accused of under-representing minorities and marginalized groups.
And in some isolated instances, the images appear to demean the people they mean to represent.
Anti-Semitic Images?
Nora Carol Photography
A quick search of stock images sites found illustrations that seem biased.
A review of Getty Images byLifewirefound some pictures that appear to reinforce anti-Semitic stereotypes.
For example, one image shows a long-nosed man with devil wings holding a coin.
alashi / Getty Images
Lifewireasked theAnti Defamation League(ADL), an anti-bias organization, to review these images.
Companies and some public figures have been criticized for using stock images surrounding the recent Black Lives Matter protests.
For example, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Breeswas criticized for usinga six-year-old ‘handshake against racism’ stock image.
timsa / Getty Images
The bias issue in stock images is common to many large data sets, experts say.
Default searches may contain implicit bias, experts say.
“The racism is not overtthere are still options, the question is how many options.
When searching for ‘business people’ on Shutterstock, 15million results surfaced.
Racism can also be subtle in some stock images, observers say.
Dealing With the Issue
Education is key to combating the problem, experts say.
Stock photography sites have attempted to tackle bias issues by encouraging diversity.
‘,” Melillo said.
Such a strategy is not authentic and will only invite criticism rather than respect."
In this fraught election year, the US appears more divided than ever.
Stock images may be a small but ever present part of the problem as they reinforce stereotypes and biases.
