Accused of amplifying critical reporting, Google says it has no special algorithm for Turkey

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In response to a request by the Parliamentary Committee on Digital Media, Google said it has no news algorithm special to Turkey.

In the 36-page report, the company explained how its search engine and algorithms work and how it ensures data security, according to a report by the state broadcaster TRT.

It said it provides users with the best possible results, and distorting search results for political purposes would harm its activities.

Also, the algorithms do not determine whether the listed content is accurate or not, according to Google's statement.

It has three criteria in the fight against disinformation, the company said, noting that it removed six million misleading content last year.

The parliamentary committee had asked the company for information after claims that it amplifies reporting critical of the government.

Report: Google favors pro-government media

However, a 2021 report by the International Press Institute (IPI) showed that news-related searches on Google in Turkey are more likely to bring results from pro-government media outlets than from independent ones.

More than 90 percent of the results that appeared on the "top stories" slot on the Google search page were from web pages of three pro-government dailies, Hürriyet, Milliyet and Sabah, the study found.

On Google News, which has a different algorithm, pro-government outlets made up 73.8 percent of the results.

Also, independent media executives interviewed by the IPI said they think Google incentivizes "clickbait" reporting and ignores larger media outlets' violations of its rules.

Google also amplifies pro-government media outlets' hate speech and disinformation against civil society figures, the report noted. (HA/VK)