Google forced into 'damage control' after Election interference claims

Google is facing backlash after claims of biased search results surfaced in the wake of the big Election Day. Millions of voters are relying on the search engine for real-time updates on polls, locations, and timings.

However, the tech giant has been accused of interfering with the elections after users searching for "Where can I vote for Trump?" received less helpful results compared to those searching for "Where can I vote for Harris?" Google acknowledged the discrepancy, attributing it to a glitch and promising a fix.

Google accused of meddling with the elections

Accusations from former President Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters, who have long claimed that Google favors a Democratic bias, gained new traction when users noticed a glaring discrepancy in search results. While those searching for Trump’s voting locations were directed to a list of stories and links, users looking for information on where to vote for Harris were immediately shown a clear link to their nearest polling station.

Also read: Why is America testing a hypersonic nuclear missile on Election Day, once the polls close?

Specifically, searches for “Where to vote for Trump?” displayed a list of Top Stories, followed by a link to "donaldjtrump.com,” and various other voter information websites. In contrast, searches for “Where can I vote for Harris?” instantly led users to a link from the Democracy Works and Voting Information Project, allowing them to input their address and find their nearest polling place, according to the federal list.

Google is facing backlash after claims of biased search results surfaced in the wake of the big Election Day. Millions of voters are relying on the search engine for real-time updates on polls, locations, and timings.

However, the tech giant has been accused of interfering with the elections after users searching for "Where can I vote for Trump?" received less helpful results compared to those searching for "Where can I vote for Harris?" Google acknowledged the discrepancy, attributing it to a glitch and promising a fix.

Google accused of meddling with the elections

Accusations from former President Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters, who have long claimed that Google favors a Democratic bias, gained new traction when users noticed a glaring discrepancy in search results. While those searching for Trump’s voting locations were directed to a list of stories and links, users looking for information on where to vote for Harris were immediately shown a clear link to their nearest polling station.

Also read: Why is America testing a hypersonic nuclear missile on Election Day, once the polls close?

Specifically, searches for “Where to vote for Trump?” displayed a list of Top Stories, followed by a link to "donaldjtrump.com,” and various other voter information websites. In contrast, searches for “Where can I vote for Harris?” instantly led users to a link from the Democracy Works and Voting Information Project, allowing them to input their address and find their nearest polling place, according to the federal list.

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Google acknowledges the glitch

As the accusation gained momentum on social media, with massive backlash flooding in, the Sundar Pichai-led company responded with a statement acknowledging the issue. The tech giant attributed the discrepancy to a simple mistake, explaining that the “where to vote” panel was being triggered by specific searches, including the fact that "Harris" is also the name of a county in Texas. “Happens for 'Vance' too bc [because] it’s also the name of a county,” it added.

Google assured users that a fix was on the way, adding, “Note that very few people actually search for voting places this way.” However, some users pointed out that even when they entered addresses outside of Harris, Texas, they were still directed to information about their nearest polling location.

Also read: History repeats? What happens if Trump and Harris both win on Nov 5; the aftermath of the US election

This isn't the first time Google has found itself at the center of controversy. Back in July, Donald Trump and his supporters accused the company of suppressing information about his failed assassination attempt. More recently, YouTube faced criticism for restricting access to the full interview between podcaster Joe Rogan and Trump, which the podcaster later clarified was not an issue.

Trump threatened Google with a legal warning

A few weeks back, Trump even said he might make the Justice Department go after Google with criminal charges if he wins the election. He said Google was showing negative news about him but not about his 2024 opponent, Kamala Harris.

“It has been determined that Google has illegally used a system of only revealing and displaying bad stories about Donald J Trump, some made up for this purpose while, at the same time, only revealing good stories about Comrade Kamala Harris,” the Republican nominee said in a Truth social post.

“This is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant Interference of Elections. If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, when I win the Election and become President of the United States.”

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