Google's algorithm can sway undecided voters by more than 20 percent

Manipulating search engine results can sway undecided voters by 20 percent or more, according to a study from Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Roberston at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.

Their report shares the findings of five double-blind, randomized controlled experiments involving more than 4,500 voters in America and India:

The researchers also found that search engines' influence on voter decisions would be greatest in "countries dominated by a single search engine company" — like, say, the United States, where two out of three searches are performed via Google.

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