Google manipulating search scandal
Google is one of the most used search engines in the entire world with thousands of people using the popular website daily. The method that Google uses to choose which sites are the top searches is the algorithm PageRank. PageRank precomputes values for websites that are not based on the topic, and each page has its own hub/authority. It precomputes the value for each page on a weekly basis and then Google displays those pages with the highest value as being the most relevant for a person. PageRank works by giving each page the same probability distribution. When a page links to another page, the recipient increases its probability distribution by getting the weight amount from the linker. This method is how Google computes the first page of a search.
People put a great deal of faith in their news resources. It is rare that anyone goes past the first page when they are looking for information in a Google search. The trust that the user places in receiving the most relevant information when searching for a term or in autofill is important for a company to have repeat customers. A few months ago, Google was accused to have been manipulating their search results to show a more positive side to Hillary Clinton. A company SourceFed discovered a big difference between the search results for Google and Bing with regards to Hillary Clinton searches involving her email scandal and indictment. While Google and Bing typically have similar results with searches, when searching for the phrase “Hillary Clinton cri”, Google autofills with Hillary Clinton crime reform, a positive act that Hillary put into action. On the other hand, Bing and Yahoo autofill with Hillary Clinton criminal charges. This accused manipulation is both unethical in its breach of people’s trust in the way they get their news and well as impactful to the election by covering up Hillary’s scandals. Google denies the allegations and could be a difference in the algorithms.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/9/google-accused-burying-negative-hillary-clinton-st/