<p>A new report from the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology proves how a search engine can shift the opinions of undecided voters by up to 80%.</p>
<p>The study, led by Dr. Robert Epstein, ;exposed participants to either positive or negative search suggestions about unfamiliar candidates. The voting preference of participants who saw only positive search suggestions shifted about 35% towards that candidate, while preferences for those who viewed only negative suggestions shifted away from that candidate by over 40%.</p>
<p>Using this method of manipulation, concludes Epstein, a search engine could transform a 50/50 idealogical split into a 90/10 split. And there&rsquo;s no paper trail.</p>
<p>This ;is exactly what Google did in 2016 when it pointed users towards positive information on Hillary and negative information on Trump and Sanders (<a href="https://punchingbagpost.com/google-alters-searches-to-favor-hillary-clinton---try-it-for-yourself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>read my article about that here</strong></a>).</p>
<p>Based on Epstein&rsquo;s work, search results between May and November 2016 were, on average, biased in favor of Hillary Clinton. &ldquo;This bias could not be accounted for by the bias in the search terms themselves,&rdquo; notes Epstein. &ldquo;We also found different levels of bias in different search engines, as well as evidence of demographically-targeted bias. We don&rsquo;t know what caused these patterns&hellip;but no matter what the cause or causes, given the power of search rankings to shift votes and opinions without people&rsquo;s awareness, they are a matter for concern. ;</p>
<p>Epstein&rsquo;s research also supports the claim that Google manipulates its search results to benefit its own products and services. For example, type &ldquo;G&rdquo; into the search bar and you will see options like &ldquo;Google,&rdquo; &ldquo;Gmail,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Google Docs.&rdquo; The same pattern occurs with major advertisers for Google like Amazon, Target, Home Depot, and Zillow. ;</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, antitrust officials in Europe hit Google with a $2.7 billion fine for prioritizing its own services. ; ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;The fact is, at the moment, whether you know it or not, democracy is an illusion and human freedom has been greatly constrained in ways that I guarantee you&rsquo;re not even aware of but that I study every day,&rdquo; said Epstein at a town hall meeting in New Orleans earlier this month. &ldquo;And the point is we&hellip;no matter what our political positions, we&rsquo;re all in danger, very much in danger.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>Google has no incentive to change its behavior because it is only accountable to its shareholders, continued Epstein. &ldquo;Eventually, authorities will almost certainly have to step in, just as they did when credit bureaus were regulated in 1970.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Author&#8217;s Note: ;</strong>Epstein&#8217;s work shows why we desperately need lawmakers to pass a regulation that would force tech companies to keep search engine results unbiased.</p>