Smart recommendation algorithms have revolutionized content delivery and improved efficiency across various domains. However, concerns about user agency arise from the algorithms' inherent opacity (information asymmetry) and one-way output (power asymmetry). This study introduces a dual-control mechanism aimed at enhancing user agency, empowering users to manage both data collection and, novelly, the degree of algorithmically tailored content they receive. In a between-subject experiment with 161 participants, we evaluated the impact of varying levels of transparency and control on user experience. Results show that transparency alone is insufficient to foster a sense of agency, and may even exacerbate disempowerment compared to displaying outcomes directly. Conversely, combining transparency with user controls-particularly those allowing direct influence on outcomes-significantly enhances user agency. This research provides a proof-of-concept for a novel approach and lays the groundwork for designing more user-centered recommender systems that emphasize user autonomy and fairness in AI-driven content delivery.