Search engine manipulation effect: Difference between revisions

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{{notability|date=May 2022}}

{{Short description|TermEffect of search engines on user attitudes}}

The '''search engine manipulation effect''' ('''SEME''') is a term invented by [[psychologist]] [[Robert Epstein]] in 2015 to describe a hypothesized change in [[consumer behaviour|consumer preference]]s and [[voting behaviour|voting preferences]] by search engines. Rather than [[search engine optimization]] where advocates, websites, and businesses seek to optimize their placement in the search engine's algorithm, SEME focuses on the search engine companies themselves. According to Epstein, search engine companies could both massively manipulate consumer and vote sentiment, and furthermore would do so to ensure their favored candidates win. EpsteinEpstein’s research propoundedshows that such manipulations couldcan shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or more, and up to 80 percent in some demographics, and wouldcan change the outcomes in over 25% of national elections.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Crain|first1=Matthew|last2=Nadler|first2=Anthony|date=2019|title=Political Manipulation and Internet Advertising Infrastructure|journal=Journal of Information Policy|volume=9|pages=370–410|doi=10.5325/jinfopoli.9.2019.0370|jstor=10.5325/jinfopoli.9.2019.0370|s2cid=214217187|issn=2381-5892|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=poli>{{Cite web|title = How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election|url = https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/how-google-could-rig-the-2016-election-121548/|access-date = 2015-08-24|first = Robert|last = Epstein |date=August 19, 2015 |publisher=Politico.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Epstein|first1=Robert|last2=Robertson|first2=Ronald E.|date=2015-08-18|title=The search engine manipulation effect (SEME) and its possible impact on the outcomes of elections|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=112|issue=33|pages=E4512–E4521|doi=10.1073/pnas.1419828112|issn=0027-8424|pmc=4547273|pmid=26243876|bibcode=2015PNAS..112E4512E|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In response to the allegations, [[Google]] denied re-ranking search results to manipulate user sentiment, or tweaking ranking specially for elections or political candidates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/google-2016-election-121766/|title=A Flawed Elections Conspiracy Theory|website=POLITICO Magazine|date=26 August 2015 |access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref>

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=== United Kingdom ===

A UK experiment was conducted with nearly 4,000 people just before the 2015 national elections to examinedexamine ways to prevent manipulation. Randomizing the rankings or including alerts that identify bias had some suppressive effects.<ref name="poli" />

== 2016 U.S. presidential election ==

Epstein had previously disputed with Google over his website, and posted opinion pieces and essays fiercely attacking Google afterward. He claimed without evidence that Google was using its influence to ensure [[Hillary Clinton]] was elected in the [[2016 United States presidential election]].<ref name=":1" />

== See also ==

* [[Algorithmic radicalization]]

== References ==

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* {{Cite journal|title = The search engine manipulation effect (SEME) and its possible impact on the outcomes of elections|journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|date = 2015-08-18|issn = 0027-8424|pmid = 26243876|pages = E4512–E4521|volume = 112|issue = 33|doi = 10.1073/pnas.1419828112|first1 = Robert|last1 = Epstein |author-link1=Robert Epstein|first2 = Ronald E.|last2 = Robertson|pmc=4547273|bibcode = 2015PNAS..112E4512E|doi-access = free}}

* {{Cite news|url=https://promarket.org/unprecedented-power-digital-platforms-control-opinions-votes/|title=The Unprecedented Power of Digital Platforms to Control Opinions and Votes -|last=Epstein|first=Robert|date=2018-04-12|access-date=2018-05-17|language=en-US}}

* How to Avoid [https://eartdigital.com/seo-manipulation/ SEO Manipulation]

[[Category:Internet search engines]]