Olof Sundin and Jutta Haider work actively to spread knowledge about algorithms and search engines. They give talks in schools and have written a learning module for the Swedish National Agency for Education, which among other things shows how “search criticism” as a complement to “source criticism” can be applied for educational purposes at secondary and upper secondary schools.
They have also written popular science material on what algorithms are and do for the Swedish Internet Foundation, which has been tasked by the state to promote adult education. They have just published the book Invisible Search and Online Search Engines, which is based on the view that Google is a central part of our infrastructure for current information searches.
“We are in a situation that requires information expertise that not only has a source critical approach, but also a search critical one. There is a tradition of questioning the source, but not of asking why you are given certain sources”, says Olof Sundin researcher in information studies.
“It is not until we get strange results in the results list that we notice there is an infrastructure behind it that is not neutral. If, for instance, you write ‘immigrants are…’ you get a number of unpleasant suggestions to click on. In certain cases, as with the search word ‘Jews’, Google has removed the automatic suggestions”, continues Olof Sundin.
The role of the algorithms behind social media in causing filter bubbles and polarisation in the social climate is frequently brought up in public debate, whereas the role of search engines in this has not been examined as much.
“Google’s service is almost made invisible and therefore tends to be seen as neutral. We also expect that what is top of a list is the most correct answer”, says Jutta Haider, who is also a researcher in information studies.
In a survey conducted by the Swedish Internet Foundation in 2018, up to 97 per cent of respondents stated that they use the internet to search for information. Google is a part of our everyday life, but we are also a part of Google’s infrastructure.
“Every click, every share, everything we do on the internet helps Google to continuously develop the search engine and makes us a part of Google’s infrastructure. Google is a part of our life that changes relations and affects our view of knowledge”, says Jutta Haider, “for example there are few people who ring their mother for a meatball recipe nowadays.”
“But it also applies in more serious contexts. Groups with an agenda can launch terms and create new ‘truths’. Take, for example, the alleged hidden agenda of the UN’s Panel on Climate Change. If a worried citizen begins to google the terms, they mainly see pages from climate change deniers that confirm their suspicions. As the assertion of a hidden agenda is only made by climate deniers, such a search mainly leads to pages that confirm a ‘hidden agenda’” says Olof Sundin.
The researchers think it is important to highlight something that appears so simple and banal, but is so complex.
“Google’s considerable influence on the large and small matters in people’s lives is further complicated because the company’s search engine has an almost monopolistic position in Sweden, which in itself is a threat against democracy”, says Olof Sundin.
Google is now in the process of becoming even more invisible and is built into many services, through voice control for example. Voice control only reads out the first four suggestions and you won’t see the full list. Google’s aim is that we will not even need to search, as they will deliver the answers before we even know we need them.
“We are already there by the way. When you are on your way to a meeting in the car you may receive – without having searched – a weather forecast, info on parking options and parking costs and the latest traffic information”, says Jutta Haider.