Search engine manipulation effect: Difference between revisions

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{{notability|date=May 2022}}

{{Short description|Term}}

The '''search engine manipulation effect''' (SEME) is thea term invented by [[Robert Epstein]] in 2015 to describe a hypothesized change in [[consumer behaviour|consumer preference]]s fromand [[Searchvoting engine manipulationbehaviour|manipulationsvoting of search resultspreferences]] by search engines. Rather than [[search engine optimization]] providers.where advocates, websites, and businesses seek to optimize their placement in the search engine's algorithm, SEME isfocuses oneon ofthe search engine companies themselves. According to the largestpsychologist behavioralEpstein, effectssearch everengine companies both could massively manipulate consumer and vote sentiment, and furthermore would do so to ensure their favored candidates discoveredwin. This includesEpstein [[votingpropounded that that such manipulations could shift the behaviour|voting preferences]] of undecided voters by 20 percent or more, and up to 80 percent in some demographics, and would 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|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/jinfopoli.9.2019.0370|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}}</ref> A 2015 study indicated that such manipulations could shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or more and up to 80 percent in some demographics.<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>

OnIn theresponse otherto handthe allegations, [[Google]] denies secretlydenied 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|access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref>

The study estimated that this could change the outcome of upwards of 25 percent of national elections worldwide.

On the other hand, [[Google]] denies secretly 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|access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref>

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

== European antitrust lawsuit ==

European regulators accused Google of manipulating its search engine results to favor its own services, even though competitive services would otherwise have ranked higher. As of August 2015, the complaint had not reached resolution, leaving the company facing a possible fine of up to $6 billion and tighter regulation that could limit its ability to compete in Europe. In November 2014 the European Parliament voted 384 to 174 for a symbolic proposal to break up the search giant into two pieces—its monolithic search engine and everything else.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Google's $6 Billion Miscalculation on the EU|url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-08-06/google-s-6-billion-miscalculation-on-the-eu|website = Bloomberg.com|access-date = 2015-08-25|first1 = Vernon|last1 = Silver|last2 = Stone|first2 = Brad|date = August 6, 2015}}</ref>

The case began in 2009 when Foundem, a British online shopping service, filed the first antitrust complaint against Google in Brussels. In 2007, Google had introduced a feature called Universal Search. A search for a particular city address, a stock quote, or a product price returned an answer from one of its own services, such as [[Google Maps]] or [[Google Finance]]. This saved work by the user. Later tools such as OneBox<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.ereceptionist.co.uk/geo/onebox| title = OneBox}}</ref> supplied answers to specific queries in a box at the top of search results. Google integrated profile pages, contact information and customer reviews from [[Google Plus]]. That information appeared above links to other websites that offered more comprehensive data, such as [[Yelp]] or [[TripAdvisor]].<ref name=":0" />

Google executives [[Larry Page]] and [[Marissa Mayer]], among others, privately advocated for favoring Google's own services, even if its algorithms deemed that information less relevant or useful.<ref name=":0" />

[[Google]] acknowledges adjusting its algorithm 600 times a year, but does not disclose the substance of its changes.<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" />

In April 2015, [[Hillary Clinton]] hired [[Stephanie Hannon]]&nbsp;from Google to be her [[chief technology officer]]. In 2015 [[Eric Schmidt]], chairman of Google's holding company started a company&nbsp;– The Groundwork – for the specific purpose of electing Clinton. [[Julian Assange]], founder of [[WikiLeaks]], called Google her ‘secret weapon’. Researchers estimated that Google could help her win the nomination and could deliver between 2.6 and 10.4 million general election votes to Clinton via SEME. No evidence documents any such effort, although since search results are ephemeral, evidence could only come via a Google [[whistleblower]] or an external [[Hacker (computer security)|hacker]].<ref name=":1" />

On June 9, 2016, [[SourceFed]] alleged that Google manipulated its searches in favor of Clinton because the recommended searches for her are different than the recommended searches to both [[Yahoo]] and [[Bing (search engine)|Bing]] and yet the searches for both [[Donald Trump]] and [[Bernie Sanders]] are identical to both Yahoo and Bing. When "Hillary Clinton Ind" was entered in the search bar, Google Autocomplete suggested "Hillary Clinton Indiana", while the other vendors suggested "Hillary Clinton indictment". Furthermore, SourceFed placed the recommended searches for Clinton on [[Google Trends]] and observed that the Google suggestion was searched less than the suggestion from the other vendors.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hern|first1=Alex|title=Google Manipulating Search In Favor Of Hillary Clinton?|url=http://techaeris.com/2016/06/10/google-manipulating-results-favor-hillary-clinton/|website=Techaeris|access-date=10 June 2016|date=10 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1= Richardson|first1=Valerie |title=Google accused of burying negative Hillary Clinton stories|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/9/google-accused-burying-negative-hillary-clinton-st/|access-date=10 June 2016|work=The Washington Times|date=9 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/google-appears-to-be-manipulating-search-results-to-help-hillary-clinton/article/2593562|title=Google denies manipulating search results to favor Hillary Clinton|last=TAKALA|first=RUDY|date=2016-06-11|website=Washington Examiner|access-date=2016-06-11}}</ref>

== References ==

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[[Category:Internet search engines]]

[[Category:Google]]

[[Category:Electoral fraud]]