A recent report by the right-leaning Media Research Center (MRC) has raised serious concerns about Google allegedly suppressing search results for 2024 presidential candidates, particularly those from the GOP. However, experts in search engine optimization suggest there might be alternative explanations for these findings.
MRC and Just the News conducted various tests that indicated an almost negligible online presence for 2024 presidential candidates from both sides, whether in generic searches for GOP candidates or for RFK Jr., a potential challenger to Biden on the left.
In these tests, Google’s search engine appeared to produce uneven results, with only two candidates’ websites appearing on the first page of results when searching for “republican presidential campaign websites.” One of these candidates was a Democrat, and the other was a Republican polling at less than half a percent.
Both MRC and Senator Ted Cruz have pointed to this as clear evidence of Google’s bias. Cruz stated, “Google is either the most incompetent search engine on the planet, or it is intentional. This is not a coincidence.”
This accusation of blatant election interference has echoes of a similar claim made by former President Trump in 2018 when he accused Google of “rigging” search results against him. At the time, Google denied any political bias, asserting that search was not used to promote a particular political agenda.
In 2021, the Daily Mail filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant had illegally built its dominance in the ad tech industry, harmed rivals, rigged ad auctions, and manipulated news search results.
Former Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt, who openly criticized the Trump administration, also advised the 2016 Clinton campaign, further fueling suspicions of tech industry bias.
Google head Eric Schmidt's secret strategic plan for the US election #PodestaEmails https://t.co/LskJODXyXn
More: https://t.co/ZUfh7WDAT5 pic.twitter.com/llq5G9kp5V
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 31, 2016
However, Eric Goldman, an SEO researcher and co-director of Santa Clara University’s High Tech Law Institute, suggests alternative explanations for these search anomalies. He argues for the need for comprehensive academic studies into search engine indexing and ordering, dismissing MRC’s tests as an “advocacy stunt.”
Google itself has been unable to provide an explanation for these replicated search results, adding to the intrigue. These allegations come at a time when Google is facing a Justice Department antitrust trial, leading to increased scrutiny of its practices. With these accusations, some, like former Psychology Today editor-in-chief Robert Epstein, argue that “Google poses a serious threat to democracy.”
