Why Google Poses a Serious Threat to Democracy, and How to End That Threat

Contact Your Elected Officials

Testimony by Robert Epstein, Ph.D. (re@aibrt.org)
Senior Research Psychologist, American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology Before the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution Tuesday,
June 16, 2019, 2:30 p.m.

I am Dr. Robert Epstein, the proud father of five children, a resident of California, and Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology. I love America and democracy, and I am also not a conservative. I have been center/center-left my whole adult life. You’ll see in moment why this fact is relevant to my testimony.

I am here today for three reasons: to explain why Google presents a serious threat to democracy and human autonomy, to explain how passive monitoring systems can protect us both now and in the future from companies like Google, and to tell you how Congress can immediately end Google’s worldwide monopoly on search. My plan for ending that monopoly was published just yesterday (Monday, July 15, 2019) by Bloomberg Businessweek (Epstein, 2019d). I am attaching a copy of my article to my testimony and respectfully request that it be entered into the Congressional Record.

I have been a research psychologist for nearly 40 years and have also served in various editorial positions at Psychology Today magazine and Scientific American MIND. I received my Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1981 and have since published 15 books and more than 300 scientific and mainstream articles on artificial intelligence and other topics. Since 2012, some of my research and writings have focused on Google LLC, specifically on the company’s power to suppress content – the censorship problem, if you will – as well as on the massive surveillance the company conducts, and also on the company’s unprecedented ability to manipulate the thoughts and behavior of more than 2.5 billion people worldwide.

Data I’ve collected since 2016 show that Google displays content to the American public that is biased in favor on one political party (Epstein & Williams, 2019) – a party I happen to like, but that’s irrelevant. No private company should have either the right or the power to manipulate large populations without their knowledge.

I’ve published articles about my research on Google in both scientific publications and a wide array of mainstream news sources: in TIME magazine, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, Dissent, The Hill, and Huffington Post, for example, but also in The Daily Caller and even in Russia’s Sputnik News.

I reach out to diverse different audiences because the threats posed by Google, and, to a lesser extent, Facebook, are so serious that I think everyone in the world needs to know about them. I put my own political leanings aside when I report my data and concerns because the problems these companies present eclipse personal politics. To put this another way, I love humanity, my country, and democracy more than I love any particular party or candidate. And democracy as originally conceived cannot survive Big Tech as currently empowered

If you were to examine the data I have been collecting over the past 6-and-a-half years, every one of you would put partisanship aside and collaborate to reign in the extraordinary power that Google and Facebook now wield with unabashed arrogance.

Here are five disturbing findings from my research, which adheres, I believe, to the highest possible scientific standards in all respects:

1. In 2016, biased search results generated by Google’s search algorithm likely impacted undecided voters in a way that gave at least 2.6 million votes to Hillary Clinton (whom I supported). I know this because I preserved more than 13,000 election-related searches conducted by a diverse group of Americans on Google, Bing, and Yahoo in the weeks leading up to the election, and Google search results – which dominate search in the U.S. and worldwide – were significantly biased in favor of Secretary Clinton in all 10 p

Click Here To Read More of Robert Epstein, Ph.D. Testimony

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Truth & Treason

World War II has long served as a compelling...

Is an American confusing England for Britain a problem?

The difficulty is when Americans try to engage with British politics, where they keep saying "England" rather than "Britain."

Charlie Kirk Assassination Links Back to Israel

Those who really know how to use the tools...

Lessons from the Cleavers: “Leave it to Beaver” Can Teach Us A Lot

A Gen-Zer reflects on growing up watching Leave It to Beaver, grateful for the shows timeless lessons and and the values it taught.

Why Democracy, not Caesar, is the answer to our problems

Caesar-style leadership wins quick public support but inevitably sparks passionate resistance, conflict, bloodshed, and lasting social destabilization.

Judge Widens Block on Shutdown-Related Layoffs to Cover More Federal Workers

Judge expanded her order blocking Trump admin mass layoffs during the govt shutdown, extending job protections to more workers.

When Government Could Reopen–Key Dates to Watch

Federal govt shutdown enters third week with Congress deadlocked and no negotiations in sight as key deadlines loom to test lawmakers’ resolve.

Reader Poll: Hold Financers, Organizers Accountable for Political Violence

Respondents to our reader poll think authorities should examine the funding and coordination behind political protests that turn violent.

Boeing Gets FAA Approval to Increase 737 Max Production

FAA has granted Boeing approval to increase output of its 737 Max airplanes, easing limits imposed after last year’s Alaska Airlines mid-flight incident.

Army Corps of Engineers to Pause $11 Billion in Projects During Shutdown: Vought

Russ Vought, director of the White House’s OMB, has added to the growing pile of federal projects paused during the government shutdown.

Trump Signs Executive Order Putting New Restrictions on Federal Hiring

Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to restrict hiring, with exceptions for immigration, security, and political appointees.

Trump Says He Has Authorized Covert CIA Operations in Venezuela

President Trump authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela, expanding U.S. assets there to increase pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

Trump Posthumously Awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House Rose Garden on Oct 14, Charlie's birthday.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central