Google says its search can't be biased—that's not how search works
Google search powers trillions of inquiries a year, but for those on the outside of the company, precisely how that engine works is a mystery. Some people, like President Donald Trump, see political bias in this opacity. But while the exact algorithms that power Google search are unknown, the way it generally works—and some of its history—are knowable. And the fact that it is somewhat mysterious is actually a good thing for the average internet user. Google’s search system is powered by proprietary algorithms that deliver results based on what it thinks the person wants in return. Broadly speaking, those hidden Google search engine gears are taking into account commonsense factors like key words—the terms that appear in an article’s headline, URL, and the body of the text—as well as the way websites link to one another. Further complicating the issue, a user’s specific Google results will differ as the company tries to customize results based on their web history or ...