Solution: Covert influencer - NYT Crossword

“Covert influencer” is a tricky clue for a great debut span entry, and it’s also a little meta if you found your mind going in a particular direction like mine did. I thought of “influencer” in the online sense, an entity whose purpose is to steer your purchasing power in a certain direction. The addition of “Covert” pointed me to subliminal advertising or product placement, but I couldn’t get a term that fit. Actually, the “Covert influencer” here is in your head; it’s UNCONSCIOUS BIAS, the act of making snap assumptions about someone or something based on one’s personal experiences and environment.