Your search results are brought to you by Google. A part of your income may be, as well (if you use AdSense). But what about your president? A new article examines Google’s relationship with the political process.
“Google has embarked on a quiet march through the conference rooms of Washington to explain how its products can help politicians get elected,” note Kevin J. Delaney and Amy Schatz for the Wall Street Journal. Fittingly enough, there is no breaking news to report (“quiet march” and all that), but the pair bring out a convincing pile of evidence.
“The company . . . is telling campaign staffers how to target political ads to people who live within a certain radius – perfect for candidates who want to reach only people in their district,” they write. “It’s showing campaign Web-site designers how Google’s maps can contribute to a user-friendly site.”
Furthermore, “Google has tried to make its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters a de rigueur stop for presidential contenders, just as car factories and steel plants have been in past years,” and “YouTube will join CNN as a sponsor of a debate on Monday between the Democratic presidential candidates in Charleston, S.C.”
For better or for worse, it seems there’s no getting around it – Google’s won itself an important role in public policy and affairs of state. And as long as we’re talking about Google’s roles, here are some fun facts something for you conspiracy theorists: Google Earth was recently integrated into some military mapping software, and various reports also document purchases of a fleet of cars and an airplane.
