Find out!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n Information that search engines can display when someone searches for a user include:<\/p>\n\n Information collected and processed when search engines are used include the following:<\/p>\n Collected data on a consent-giving user can be used to draw inferences about another user who did not give consent, but who has been judged by the search engine to have a similar profile.<\/p>\n All this data, both raw and processed, gives rise to privacy and security concerns. Some measures can be taken by search providers, governments and users to prevent privacy breeches:<\/p>\n\n In Europe, search engine companies are viewed as \u2018controllers of personal data\u2019, as opposed to mere providers of a service. Thus, they can be held responsible and liable for the content that is accessible through their services. However, privacy laws often concern confidential and intimate data. Even harmless information about people can be mined in order to create user profiles based on implicit patterns in the data. Those profiles (whether accurate or not) can be used to make decisions affecting them1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Also, how a law is enforced changes from country to country. According to GDPR, a person can ask a search engine company to remove a search result that concerns them. Even if the company removes it from the index in Europe, the page can still show up in results outside Europe1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Critics have pointed out that search engine companies are not fully open with why they show some sites and not others, and rank some pages higher than others1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Ranking of search results is heavily influenced by advertisers who sponsor content. Moreover, big search engine companies provide many services other than search. Content provided by them are often boosted in the search results. In Europe, Google has been formally charged with prominently displaying its own products or services in its search returns, regardless of its merits1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Large companies and web developers who study ranking algorithms can also influence ranking by playing on how a search engine defines popularity and authenticity of websites. Of course, the criteria judged important by search-engine programmers are themselves open to question.<\/p>\n This affect how reliable the search results are. It is always good to use multiple sources and multiple search engines and have a discussion about the content used in schoolwork.<\/p>\n\n A search engine recommends content using its ranking system. By not revealing the criteria used to select this content, it reduces user autonomy. For example, if we had known a suggested web page was sponsored, or selected based on popularity criteria we don\u2019t identify with, we might not have chosen it. By taking away informed consent, search engines and other recommender systems have controlling influences over our behaviour.<\/p>\n Autonomy is having control over processes, decisions and outcomes7<\/sup>. It implies liberty (independence from controlling influences) and agency (capacity for intentional action)7<\/sup>. Systems that recommend content without explanation can encroach on users\u2019 autonomy. They provide recommendations that nudge the users in a particular direction, by engaging them only with what they would like and by limiting the range of options to which they are exposed5<\/sup>.<\/p>\n \n\n 1<\/sup> Tavani, H., Zimmer, M., Search Engines and Ethics<\/em><\/a>, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta ed.<\/p>\n 2 <\/sup>Englehardt, S., Narayanan, A., Online Tracking: A 1-million-site Measurement and Analysis<\/a><\/em>, Extended version of paper at ACM CCS 2016.<\/p>\n 3 <\/sup>Google Privacy and Terms.<\/a><\/p>\n\n \t
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Although companies\u2019 policies can shed light on their practices, research shows that there is often a gap between policy and its use2<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\nReliability of content<\/h3>\n
Autonomy<\/h3>\n
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