Google: Racial bias revealed

A study carried out on Google searches revealed "significant discrimination" in advert result depending on the perceived race of names searched for. A study carried out by Professor Latanya Sweeney of Harvard University, found that names typically associated with black people were more likely to produce ads related to criminal activity.

By contrast, the 'Discrimination in online Ad Delivery' study showed that searches for perceived white names such as "Trevor Jones", returned more personalised ads to this name. Professor Sweeney claims that Google searches expose "racial bias in society". If the names DeShawn, Darnell and Jermaine are searched for, Google assume the race of the person to be black and 88% of the ad results are likely to be about arrests, prison and other criminal activities. Names such as Emma, Geoffrey and Jill generate a more 'neutral' and varied ad results, with only 23% of the results being about arrests. On other Google affiliated search engines some of the ad result for these names returned 0% of ads to do with arrests and criminality.

In her conclusion, Professor Sweeney claimed that there was less than 1% chance that the findings could be based on chance. Google has dismissed these claims stating that Google does not conduct any 'racial profiling'. Google went on to say:

We also have an 'anti' and violence policy which states that we will not allow ads that advocate against an organisation, person or group of people".

Google also stated that:

When placing ads with Google, companies are able to specify which keywords they would like to target. It is up to individual advertisers to decide which keywords they want to choose to trigger their ads".

However, Professor Sweeney was reluctant to pin-point the reason for these 'discrepancies'. In order to do this, it would require further research on the inner workings of Google AdSense. One possible reason she cited was Google's "smart" algorithms- technology which automatically adapts advertising placements based on mass-user habits. What this means is that the search results-merely reflect the prejudices of society. Google only provides 'popular' links other users have clicked on.

Professor Sweeney said:

Over time, as people tend to click one version of ad text over others, the weight changes…. So the ad text getting the most clicks eventually displays more frequently… in the boarder picture, technology can do more to thwart discriminatory effects and harmonise with societal norms. Ads responding to name searches appear in a specific information context and technology controls that context"

This raises serious questions, about the uses of technology and its relationship to society. Knowledge is power and technology is a product of knowledge. This story goes beyond Google and it cuts to the heart of our social-racial hierarchy which exists. The searches conducted by individuals within society, reflects the pre-existing ideas that exists beneath the surface of the individual and society. What the individual 'knows' is based on what society has taught them or 'produced knowledge on' for them.

The 'controller' of knowledge is the political and economic elites, who hold power, thus the knowledge that creates the society, reflects the prejudices of these elites. These elites are overwhelmingly white and upper-class and thus 'knowledge' reflects this power paradigm, which is why so many individuals click on ads to do with criminality when searching for 'black' names. They look for what they have been taught to look for. What is needed in order to reset this picture is 'the democratisation' of knowledge, in-which positive contributions to the world by BME people is emphasised. Not only will this change the searching habits of users - it will politically empower BME people.

Usman Butt