America’s next President might be put in office by Google. Either by the natural “trending” of the Google search algorithm -- or by the invisible hand of a Google executive, manipulating the Search Engine. A new scientific study, by RadioWhoWhatWhy podcast guest Robert Epstein, clearly shows that the rankings in Google search results directly affect our voting behavior.
Google, it is said, has changed everything. Could it now be about to change elections — and therefore democracy? It could, says an expert interviewed by RadioWhoWhatWhy podcaster Jeff Schechtman.
The culprit is Google Search. According to Robert Epstein, a senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavior Research and Technology, Google has amassed far more power than we would ever guess — to control opinions, and beliefs, and even elections. In fact, high rankings on Google searches can, Epstein’s research found, shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or more. Learn how this development can affect all of us.
Related front page panorama photo credit: Voters (Danny Howard / Flickr)
