Summarised by Centrist
Google has admitted that its search engine directed voters to polling stations for Kamala Harris but failed to provide similar information for Donald Trump.
Social media users noticed that when searching ‘Where can I vote for Harris?’ Google offered an interactive map of polling sites. This allowed users to input their address to locate nearby voting locations.
But when they typed “Where can I vote for Trump?” only news stories appeared. Elon Musk called out what he labelled as “election interference.”
Google claimed the discrepancy was due to a “technical glitch,” and explained that the name “Harris” overlaps with Harris County in Texas, causing the tool to activate. The internet search giant said the same occurred with “JD Vance,” Trump’s running mate, as there is also a county by that name.
They assured users the issue was resolved. However, Donald Trump Jr alleged the company downplays stories unfavourable to their preferred candidates.
This incident is the latest in a series of accusations that Google skews results. Earlier this year, Republican figures pointed out that Google search didn’t autofill for phrases related to a recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Google maintains that it does not engage in political bias, but critics argue these “technical glitches” occur too often to be ignored.
Image: Gage Skidmore
