Google's 2016 Election
'Fix' is in; Facebook Data Mining Expands (Diario de
Notícias, Portugal)
"The
Google search engine – even without the knowledge of its respective
administrators – could have a decisive impact on the results of next year's
U.S. presidential election. … The search engine manipulation effect exists and
is 'one of the largest behavioral effects ever discovered.' … On August 31,
almost one in every seven people on the planet logged onto Facebook. It had to
pay nothing for the massive amount of data given over to it, but there is no
lack of those wishing to get their hands on it."
For several years, two researchers from the American
Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology have studied what they call
the “search engine manipulation effect [SEME].”
Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Robertson have
published a new study in which they evaluate its impact on election results
and research conducted on the Internet. They have no doubt that the SEME effect exists and that it is “one of the largest
behavioral effects ever discovered.” Epstein and Robertson have identified
scenarios in which the Google search engine – even without the knowledge of its
respective administrators – could have a decisive impact on the results of next
year's U.S. presidential election.
Posted by Worldmeets.US
They conducted the experiment with more than 4,500 people
and found that after a single research session they were able to boost the
proportion of people who favored a particular candidate by between 37 and 63
percent, and concluded that the Google search engine algorithm can alter the
loyalties of undecided voters by, in some cases, 20 percent, reaching all the
way to 80 percent in certain demographic groups. The research was carried out
in two countries, one being the United States [the other, India], but Epstein
told DiarioNoticias that
the study's conclusions would “clearly” apply to any country. We know that
Google changes its search algorithm about 600 times per year and that it is likely one
of the planet's most guarded secrets. The goal of any brand worth its salt,
including candidates for public office, is to rise in the search engine’s
rankings. Today, no decent election campaign fails to hire a specialist in search engine
optimization – the idea being to always appear at the top of the search
engine results with positive news about the candidate. This is done
legitimately and is no secret. We won’t stop using Google, but you shouldn't
stop using your brain.
This column examines the elephant in the room that the masters of industry and data have been reticent to discuss: what...
On August 31, almost one in every seven people on the planet
logged onto Facebook to talk to family and friends, to comment, to share, to
gossip, to read news and do everything else one can do on the world's largest
social network – including things one shouldn't do for reasons of security. One
billion people - a record founder and CEO Marc Zuckerberg
reported with pride as another step toward "stronger relationships with
those you love, a stronger economy with more opportunities, and a stronger
society that reflects all of our values." Finally – plus a step toward
global harmony.
That last phrase he did not write, but it could have been
part of the text he published on his
personal Facebook page. Less rosy is the power that the data of a billion
users provides a single organization. It had to pay nothing for the massive
amount of data given over to it, but there is no lack of those wishing to get
their hands on it. Terrorism and piracy aside, this milestone should also sound
an alarm over the growing dependence of people, organizations and businesses on
feverish Facebook sharing. It would be better for us all to start thinking
about plan B.
