Tech giant Google reportedly admitted during a European court case that it can manipulate its search engine results and is willing to do so, seemingly confirming what the Media Research Center has repeatedly exposed. 
Google adjusted an earlier proposal to alter search results in a bid to avoid fines in the European Union, according to Reuters. But while this admission comes in the midst of an antitrust case, it all but confirms what MRC has repeatedly revealed: Google apparently can manipulate its search engine results for its own ideological and financial benefit. For instance, previous MRC studies have found that Google has meddled in U.S. elections and has religiously pushed predominantly leftist sources.
Under the new EU-received proposal, Google would allow third-party, specialty search engines to have the same functionality, information and features as Google’s. These engines are also known as vertical search engines, or “VSS,” and include companies like Zillow and Expedia.
“We will create the opportunity for each VSS to show its own box on Search. A VSS box will be populated with results from that VSS inventory,” Google wrote in a proposal, as quoted by Reuters.
This is significant because it touches on a much larger problem: Google’s search result manipulation. This certainly extends not only to the above narrow case but to political and media results. For instance, MRC researchers found that Google repeatedly buried right-leaning news articles about Donald Trump and his opponents and cabinet nominees, before, during, and after the 2024 election. This all occurred while the tech giant also propped up left-leaning sources.
In August, MRC caught Google being deceptive about its supposed customization of search results with a “preferred sources” tool. Even with the tool enabled, Google’s search engine continued to boost predominantly left-wing sources.
And then on Oct. 6, MRC found that Google’s search results for “Stephen Miller,” a Trump advisor, elevated Wikipedia, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and other far-left sources. Google’s search bias against Miller came as he worked to broker a peace deal for the Israel-Gaza conflict.
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