A new report by the conservative Media Research Center reveals that Google has “interfered” in key US elections 41 times in the last 16 years – including helping and promoting certain Democratic politicians while censoring Republicans and other Democrats.
The report points out that Google “utilized its power to help push to electoral victory the most liberal candidates…while targeting their opponents for censorship”.
“MRC researchers have found 41 times where Google interfered in elections over the last 16 years, and its impact has surged dramatically, making it evermore harmful to democracy,” Media Research Center Free Speech America Vice President Dan Schneider and editor Gabriela Pariseau stated. “In every case, Google harmed the candidates – regardless of party – who threatened its left-wing candidate of choice”.
According to the New York Post, Google has denied the Media Research Center’s allegations. However, Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk disagrees, saying that the report “understates the magnitude of the problem”.
“Google interferes to help Democrats thousands of times every election season. This is to be expected when their censorship (aka ‘Trust & Safety’) teams are have far left political views”, Musk added.
This article understates the magnitude of the problem – Google interferes to help Democrats thousands of times every election season!
This is to be expected when their censorship (aka “Trust & Safety”) teams are have far left political views. https://t.co/y36yzdzIUQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 18, 2024
It has also been reported that Google helped former President Barack Obama win by boosting his campaign – while in 2008 it “targeted support for Hillary Clinton for censorship” by “suspending the accounts of writers who wrote blogs critical of Obama during his primary race against Clinton”.
Extensive manipulation
According to the report, Google also favoured Obama over Mitt Romney in 2012, refusing to fix “Googlebombs” – web pages with manipulated rankings that smeared and defamed Republican officials. In addition, Google’s search algorithms allegedly “shifted at least 2.5 million votes to Clinton” when she faced Donald Trump in 2016.
It also points out that Google “targeted” Hawaii Democrat Tulsi Gabbard in 2020, suspending her digital advertising and marketing accounts when she became the most searched for candidate online after the first Democratic primary debate. Media outlets that were critical of Joe Biden were also “suppressed”.
“Utilizing the many tools in its arsenal, Google aided those who most closely aligned with its leftist values from election cycle to election cycle since as far back as the 2008 presidential election”, it adds.
Google itself calls the allegations “baseless, inaccurate complaints that have been debunked by third parties” and says they have been repeatedly failed in courts.
