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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsManipulation of Search Engine Results Can Sway Undecided Voters by at Least 20%
Manipulation of Search Engine Results Can Sway Undecided Voters by at Least 20%http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/manipulation-of-search-engine-results-can-sway-undecided-voters-by-at-least-20-151223?news=858038
"SNIP.............
The results produced by search engines, including the big daddy of them all, Google, can be manipulated to influence voters before an election, researchers have found.
Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology examined how the Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) can influence individuals doing online research about political campaigns. Their study (pdf) showed voters preferences can be swayed by 20% or more through manipulating search engine results to favor one candidate over another.
Because SEME is virtually invisible as a form of social influence, because the effect is so large and because there are currently no specific regulations anywhere in the world that would prevent Google from using and abusing this technique, we believe SEME is a serious threat to the democratic system of government, they wrote.
Epstein and Robertson also discovered certain demographics are more vulnerable to search engine manipulation than others, particularly voters with little knowledge of the candidates or undecided voters. The manipulation was so effective, they noted, that even users who were aware of SEME were still influenced by the search results.
In an essay published by Politico, Epstein warned of what search engine manipulation could mean for next years presidential election. Americas next president could be eased into office not just by TV ads or speeches, but by Googles secret decisions, and no oneexcept for me and perhaps a few other obscure researcherswould know how this was accomplished, Epstein wrote.
Research I have been directing in recent years suggests that Google, Inc., has amassed far more power to control electionsindeed, to control a wide variety of opinions and beliefsthan any company in history has ever had, he said.
...............SNIP"
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Manipulation of Search Engine Results Can Sway Undecided Voters by at Least 20% (Original Post)
applegrove
Dec 2015
OP
elleng
(131,006 posts)1. No sh*t, sherlock.
Polls =
underthematrix
(5,811 posts)2. This may why many google keywords cost money
newthinking
(3,982 posts)3. This is also why untruthful media narratives still get traction. Search results are very impacting
when people are not otherwise well informed or know where else to find more accurate information.
Hat's off to these researchers for opening what is a very important topic.
Paulie
(8,462 posts)4. Anchoring
Humans are great at it!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring