Former President Donald Trump has escalated his accusations against Google, alleging the tech giant is actively manipulating search results to benefit Vice President Kamala Harris and damage his reputation. He claims this is an unlawful attempt to influence the 2024 presidential election.
Trump’s accusations stem from a study conducted by the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, which suggests Google’s search results regarding political candidates are biased in favor of liberal news outlets. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump asserted that Google is “illegally” displaying negative stories about him while promoting positive narratives about Kamala Harris.
He went on to declare this an “ILLEGAL ACTIVITY,” threatening to pursue criminal prosecution against Google if he wins the upcoming election. “If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the Election, and become President of the United States!” Trump added.
Google has firmly refuted these allegations, reiterating its earlier statement regarding the Media Research Center report. A company representative, according to the New York Times, stated that both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of search results for relevant and common queries. They also pointed out that the report focused on a single, uncommon search term on a specific day, and even for that search, both candidates’ websites were among the top results on Google.
This isn’t the first time Google has been accused of political bias. The company has faced similar criticisms in the past, with critics arguing its algorithms favor certain political ideologies. However, Google has consistently maintained that its search algorithms are designed to deliver the most relevant and useful results to users, regardless of their political affiliations.
This latest accusation adds another layer to the ongoing debate surrounding political bias in search engines and the impact of technology on elections. With the 2024 election approaching, the controversy surrounding Google and other tech giants is likely to intensify.
