Has the Google filter bubble burst?

The final report of the research project "#DataDonation: Google and the 2017 federal election" was published on July 25 and shows that the personalization of Google search results is less than previously feared.

Has the Google filter bubble burst?

Who sees what in a Google search on political topics? To what extent are the results shown personalized? And does the region from which the search queries come play a role? The much-cited filter bubble is smaller than assumed - that is, in summary, the answer to these questions, taken from the final report published today of the research project "#DataDonation: Google and the 2017 Bundestag Election." Under the leadership of the Bavarian State Media Authority (BLM), the Rhineland-Palatinate State Media Authority (LMK) and four other state media authorities had commissioned computer science professor Katharina Zweig from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern to conduct a data analysis in cooperation with the non-profit initiative for the control of algorithmic decision-making AlgorithmWatch.

If one searches Google for the names of political parties, the first search results page shows mainly websites whose content the parties themselves control. Thirty-four percent of the hits are directly websites of parties, party members or local chapters and associations. Another 17 percent of the search results are social media profiles of the parties. Media offerings, on the other hand, account for 26 percent of the results in Google searches for parties. If the results contain headlines, 80 percent of them come from the websites of German print media providers. News from providers whose sole distribution channel is the Internet accounts for 12 percent of Google headlines, and news from public broadcasters for four percent.

Both when searching for politicians and when searching for parties, users receive many matches in the results lists. The results for parties - in contrast to those for prominent politicians - initially show somewhat fewer similarities. However, if one takes into account the stronger regionalization of Google search results, for example through websites of local associations of the parties, there also remains a great deal of similarity here. "Prof. Zweig's study is an important start. For the first time, it was possible to establish that there is no relevant evidence for a personalization of Google search results with regard to politics-related search queries. The much-invoked filter bubble could not be detected. However, this is no reason to sit back and relax," LMK Director Dr. Marc Jan Eumann appealed. "The study has shown that analyses of the effects of algorithms are possible without the intermediaries having to disclose these algorithms in detail. The task now is to conduct such studies for other intermediaries as well and, moreover, with some regularity. If this is flanked by the inclusion of corresponding participation and transparency obligations in the upcoming Interstate Broadcasting Treaty, the state media authorities will be able to enforce the safeguarding of the free formation of opinion in the case of information intermediaries as well."

The research project "#DataDonation: Google and the 2017 Bundestag Election" was funded, in addition to the LMK, by the state media authorities of Bavaria(BLM, lead), Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb), Hesse (LPR Hessen), Saarland(LMS) and Saxony(SLM).

 

Further information: 

  • Search engines at klicksafe
  • klicksafe teachers' handbook add-on module "How do I find what I am looking for? Using search engines competently "
  • klicksafe and Internet ABC parent guide with practical exercises for children and young people: "Searching the Internet the right way "