Google has a massive issue on their hands when it comes to their search engine algorithm. After reading Safiya Umoja Noble’s article “Missed Connections,” I was shocked to learn of this issue, and how egregious it is. Essentially, the main issue is that looking up on Google *identifying term* followed by “women” will more often than not lead to both pornographic content and stereotypes about that group. This, as Noble highlights, is indubitably a problem. Though naïve to think, it would be great if the internet were a neutral place, with the common good at the heart of the internet’s mission. However, this is most certainly not the case. Google not only houses the content, it leads people to it. It does not try to dissuade from the belief of stereotypes, or that women are “only good for their bodies.” In fact, it enhances the belief. This is not only inappropriate, but a problem for young computer users who have malleable worldviews. According to a follow-up article, it seems as though Google has fixed some of these issues, but only after years of push-back. Though we are living in a world with incredible technological developments, it seems as though the technological world has a long way to go.
