The different worlds of Google – A comparison of search results on conspiracy theories in 12 countries

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11230%2F24%3A10486166" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11230/24:10486166 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=O7pqoP5KlJ" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=O7pqoP5KlJ</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13548565231203102" target="_blank" >10.1177/13548565231203102</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

The different worlds of Google – A comparison of search results on conspiracy theories in 12 countries

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Search engines play an important role in the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories, accentuating the power of global platform companies such as Google to contribute to the digital (information) divide by providing search results of lesser quality in certain countries. We investigated this phenomenon by asking what kind of results users see when they search for information on eleven popular conspiracy theories (CTs) via Google. We analysed links from Google search results (N = 1259) in 12 Western and non-Western countries and 10 languages. Overall, users are more likely to encounter neutral or debunking content when using Google to search for prominent CTs. However, for some CTs, strong country differences in the quality of search results emerge, showing clear correlations between categorical inequalities and unequal access to reliable information. In countries where journalists enjoy less freedom, people enjoy fewer democratic rights and are less able to rely on social elites, Google also provides less enlightening content on CTs than in developed and prosperous democracies. The countries thus disadvantaged are precisely those countries where there is a high propensity to believe in CTs according to comparative survey research. However, in countries where a global language is spoken, for example, English or Portuguese, there is no correlation between structural, country-specific factors and the quality of search results. In this sense, structurally disadvantaged countries seem to benefit from belonging to a larger language community.

Název v anglickém jazyce

The different worlds of Google – A comparison of search results on conspiracy theories in 12 countries

Popis výsledku anglicky

Search engines play an important role in the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories, accentuating the power of global platform companies such as Google to contribute to the digital (information) divide by providing search results of lesser quality in certain countries. We investigated this phenomenon by asking what kind of results users see when they search for information on eleven popular conspiracy theories (CTs) via Google. We analysed links from Google search results (N = 1259) in 12 Western and non-Western countries and 10 languages. Overall, users are more likely to encounter neutral or debunking content when using Google to search for prominent CTs. However, for some CTs, strong country differences in the quality of search results emerge, showing clear correlations between categorical inequalities and unequal access to reliable information. In countries where journalists enjoy less freedom, people enjoy fewer democratic rights and are less able to rely on social elites, Google also provides less enlightening content on CTs than in developed and prosperous democracies. The countries thus disadvantaged are precisely those countries where there is a high propensity to believe in CTs according to comparative survey research. However, in countries where a global language is spoken, for example, English or Portuguese, there is no correlation between structural, country-specific factors and the quality of search results. In this sense, structurally disadvantaged countries seem to benefit from belonging to a larger language community.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

50802 - Media and socio-cultural communication

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2024

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Convergence-The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies

ISSN

1354-8565

e-ISSN

1748-7382

Svazek periodika

30

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

6

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

20

Strana od-do

2267-2286

Kód UT WoS článku

001420075200023

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85177420309