Part 1

Explain briefly how search engines work (What are the major components?).

Search Engine:

Search engines are software applications designed to retrieve and present information

based on user queries. They locate relevant websites or web pages on the internet and

provide corresponding search results. Search engines are like big helpers on the

internet. They help you find what you're looking for among all the websites out there.

Understanding the functioning of search engines is crucial for achieving high rankings

in search results. Google, Yahoo, and Bing are some of the most well-known search

engines.

How do Search Engines work?

Search engines work by crawling, indexing, and ranking web pages to provide

relevant results to users' queries. Here's a brief overview of what they are:

Crawling: Search engines use automated bots called crawlers or spiders to

systematically scan the web. These bots follow links from one page to another,

discovering new content. These crawlers scan through all the websites on the internet

and make a big list of them. They try to understand what the pages are about, what

kind of information they have, and when they were last updated. They gather

information about web pages, such as the URL, content, metadata, and links.

Crawling is important because it ensures that search engines can discover and access

the website properly. If the crawler can’t find the content it is looking for in your

website it won’t show up on search results.

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 Indexing: After crawling, search engines organize the information they've gathered

into a searchable index. This index is like a massive database containing information

about web pages and their content. The indexing process involves analyzing the

content of each page, extracting relevant keywords, and storing them in a structured

format for quick retrieval. It doesn’t store every single detail but keeps important

things like the title, description of each page, what type of content it has, what

keywords are associated with it, and other websites linked to it.

Ranking: When a user types a query, the search engine checks its index for pages that

match and displays the most relevant ones on the search engine results page (SERP)

(Lutkevich, B. 2024). It then applies algorithms to rank these pages based on various

factors such as keyword relevance, page quality, authority, user engagement metrics,

and more. The goal is to present the most relevant results at the top of the search

results page.

Here’s how ranking works:

 The search engine looks at the words the user typed to figure out what they're

looking for.

 The search engine checks its list of websites to find the ones that best match

what the user wants.

 The search engine displays a list of websites that match the user's query.

Usually, there are about ten results on the page, along with other things like

ads.

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 Part 2

Ethical Concerns of Search Technology: Search Engine Bias

The article talks about how search engines such as Google, Bing, and others affect our

lives and the ethical problems they raise. It was written by Mirka Pastierová from

Comenius University Bratislava and was published in October 2022. The article

discusses how search engines influence what we know and how we make decisions,

stressing the importance of fairness in their algorithms. It also looks at how search

engines have become more advanced over time, using AI technology, and raises

concerns about biases in search results, as well as issues like privacy, surveillance,

and censorship. Overall, it explores how human decisions and technological progress

interact in the world of search engines and what that means for society.

As of June 2022, Google’s global search engine market share was at 91.47%, with

Bing following at 3.42%, and Yahoo at 1.78%, (StatCounter, 2022). The author has

done some research on the Google search engine and delved deeper into some related

cases. Search engines have become an integral part of our daily lives, which gives

access to the amounts of information we look at every day. However, the dominance

of major players like Google raises ethical concerns, particularly regarding bias in

search results. This bias can impact what information we see, shaping our beliefs and

behaviors. Google's monopoly in the market gives it immense power to influence

what information is prioritized in search results.

For example, in cases like Dylan Roof's radicalization, Google's search results may

have played a role in shaping his beliefs, illustrating the significant influence search

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 engines wield. Dylan Roof, who committed the Charleston massacre in 2015, was

argued by his attorney to have been influenced by Google. Roof had followed the case

of George Zimmerman, who shot Trayvon Martin in 2012, and believed Zimmerman

was justified. Roof's attorney claimed that Roof's beliefs were shaped by searching

"black on white crime" on Google, which led him down a path of white supremacy.

During that time, Google's autocomplete feature also generated racist suggestions So,

if Roof had typed "black on," he could have received suggestions like "black on white

crime" or "black on white violence" (Hersher, 2017).

Unethical SEO practices make things worse by unfairly boosting websites' visibility

in search engine results. Despite guidelines promoting ethical SEO, some sites use

tactics that distort search results and maintain bias. Paid ads also play a role, blurring

the line between regular and sponsored content. Users might click on ads without

realizing it, affecting their behavior and contributing to result manipulation.

Algorithms decide how search results are ranked, and their biases can be widespread.

Biased autocomplete suggestions and search results can reinforce harmful stereotypes,

making societal inequalities worse. Personalization methods aim to improve user

experience but might inadvertently promote bias by showing users only information

that matches their past interests, limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints.

Addressing these ethical concerns requires a multifaceted approach. Proposed

solutions include theoretical frameworks like value-sensitive design, practical design

methods, adjustments to algorithmic features, and ethical codes and legal frameworks.

Additionally, alternative search engines that prioritize user privacy offer another

avenue to mitigate bias.

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 The writer concludes this article with the assertion that biased algorithmic design in

search engines poses ongoing challenges, as these technologies are not objective,

neutral, or value-free. Without significant changes in search engine development,

these issues are likely to persist in the future. Users and developers must understand

the ethical concerns surrounding search engine bias and prioritize informed decision-

making. Addressing search engine bias requires a comprehensive approach, aiming

for evolving technology to guide the development of ethical guidelines.

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 References

Lutkevich, B. (2024). Search engine. TechTarget. Retrieved from

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/search-engine

StatCounter. (2021-2022). Search Engine Market Share Worldwide, July 2021 - June

2022. Retrieved from https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share#monthly-

202107-202206

Hersher, R. (2017, January 10). What Happened When Dylann Roof Asked Google

For Information About Race? NPR. Retrieved from

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/10/508363607/what-happened-

when-dylann-roof-asked-google-for-information-about-race

Pastierová, M. (2022). Ethical concerns of search technology: Search engine bias.

ProInflow: Journal for Information Sciences, 14(1–2), 156–170.

https://doi.org/10.5817/ProIn2022-2-9

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