<
https://theconversation.com/unrest-in-bangladesh-is-revealing-the-bias-at-the-heart-of-googles-search-engine-249131>
"Google’s search engine handles the vast majority of online searches worldwide.
By one estimate, it fields 6.3 million queries every second.
Because of the search engine’s enormous scale, its outputs can have outsized
effects. And, while Google’s search results are shaped by ostensibly neutral
rules and processes, research has shown these algorithms often produce biased
results.
This problem of algorithmic bias is again being highlighted by recent
escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh and cases of violence against
Bangladeshi citizens in India and violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. A
pro-Indian misinformation and disinformation campaign is exploiting this
algorithmic bias to further its agenda – an agenda that has been described as
Islamophobic and alarmist.
This kind of misinformation has been implicated in several riots and violent
incidents in Bangladesh.
All of this serves as an important reminder of the power Google’s search engine
has in shaping public perceptions of any event – and its vulnerability to being
exploited. It’s also an important reminder to anyone who uses Google’s search
engine to engage critically with the results it dishes up, rather than
accepting them at face value."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
