Donald Trump, President of the United States, found himself in the center of media attention this August after he searched himself on Google and was not pleased with the results that he found. Trump brought this issue to the national stage after he took to Twitter to complain about technology firms, especially Google, who he claims rig their search results to paint himself, his cabinet members and conservatives in a negative light. Google and other search engines are not biased against anyone, they just show what people most frequently search on those engines. Restricting search engine results is not only wrong, it’s unconstitutional as well.
“Google search results for “Trump News” shows only the viewing/reporting of Fake New Media. In other words, they have it RIGGED, for me & others, so that almost all stories & news is BAD. Fake CNN is prominent. Republican/Conservative & Fair Media is shut out. Illegal? 96% of results on “Trump News” are from National Left-Wing Media, very dangerous,” said Donald Trump via Twitter, Aug. 28. “Google & others are suppressing voices of Conservatives and hiding information and news that is good. They are controlling what we can & cannot see. This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!”
Trump’s accusations are partially justified, as Google search results about Trump and other right wing politicians will bring up information primarily from news organizations such as CNN (Cable News Network), NBC (National Broadcast Corporation) and Washington Post among others, rather than historically conservative and left wing networks like Fox News and Newsmax.
“I do not feel that Google search results are biased, but it is important to understand how they work,” said Shane Barry, teacher. “They will bring up what sites get the most activity- often referred to as the most “popular” based on clicks, so if a person is generally unpopular then the things written about them would be considered unpopular, would get more attention, and would be more likely to show up in searches, which is to say that it’s more of a reflection of how the public feels as a whole than it is a deliberate biased take on Trump or republicans.”
Trump is now considering whether or not to regulate search engine results- which is not only wrong, it is a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, according to free speech advocates and both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
