Google’s Search Results Aren’t Neutral

A new report from the Wall Street Journal shows how far the world’s largest search engine goes to control what you find.

According to a massive report from The Wall Street Journal this weekend, Google manipulates the results of search queries far more than it has admitted. While some of the interventions the Journal mentions might seem like they have the best interest of users in mind, the fact is Google isn’t a neutral party simply pointing people to the best results. In many cases, it’s deciding what should be the best, and adjusting things accordingly.

For example, the Journal’s report details how

tweaks its algorithm in some cases to favor large businesses over small, even though those large businesses aren’t necessarily asking for the changes, and even though they may not be any more relevant to a user’s search. Google argues that it does so because it believes larger companies are more likely to be able to serve customers searching for specific types of products.

While, according to the report, many employees inside Google have protested, its search results continue to be tilted in favor of companies like Amazon or Walmart, instead of local companies that offer competing products or services. If you are one of those local businesses, that can make a huge difference.

A Google spokesperson told me, regarding the Journal’s report, that it “contains a number of old, incomplete anecdotes, many of which not only predated our current processes and policies but also give a very inaccurate impression of how we approach building and improving Search. We take a responsible and principled approach to making changes, including a rigorous evaluation process before launching any change — something we started implementing more than a decade ago.”

Read more: https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/googles-search-results-arent-neutral-heres-why-thats-a-problem-for-your-business.html?cid=search