{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T09:44:36Z","timestamp":1777455876569,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":66,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,1]],"date-time":"2023-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1672531200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Big Data &amp; Society"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Google results have been scrutinized over the years for what they privilege, be it the surface web, the powerful, optimized webpages, the personalized and\/or their own properties. For some time now, another type of Google returns also has been the source of attention: the offensive result. The following revisits a selection of offensive and other problematic results found by journalists and researchers alike. In a technique termed \u2018algorithmic probing\u2019, the prompting queries are re-run to study what has come of these results in Google Web and Image Search but mainly in Google Autocompletion. The question concerns a different kind of privileging \u2013 Google's hierarchy of concerns \u2013 or the extent to which certain categories as well as languages are moderated and others less so. In all, it was found that Google heavily moderates religion, ethnicities and sexualities (albeit with gaps) but leaves alone stereotypes of gendered professions as well as ageism. It also moderates to a greater degree in English compared to southern European and Balkan languages. The article concludes with a discussion of the stakes of Google's moderation, including its uneven coverage.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/20539517231176228","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]],"date-time":"2023-05-29T04:51:52Z","timestamp":1685335912000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Algorithmic probing: Prompting offensive Google results and their moderation"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9897-6559","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Richard","family":"Rogers","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Media Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr2-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Alexander L (2016) Do Google\u2019s \u2018unprofessional hair\u2019 results show it is racist?\n                      The Guardian\n                      , 8 April. 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Available at: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2015\/jul\/01\/google-sorry-racist-auto-tag-photo-app (accessed 12 February 2023)."},{"key":"bibr37-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2702123.2702520"},{"key":"bibr38-20539517231176228","volume-title":"Search Engine Optimization for Dummies","author":"Kent P","year":"2008"},{"key":"bibr39-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7591\/9781501735783"},{"key":"bibr40-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Lapowsky I (2018) Google autocomplete still makes vile suggestions.\n                      Wired\n                      , 12 February. Available at: https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/google-autocomplete-vile-suggestions\/ (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr41-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.280.5360.98"},{"key":"bibr42-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/333175.333181"},{"key":"bibr43-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1145\/3447535.3462479","volume-title":"The Influence of Search Engine Optimization on Google\u2019s Results: A Multi-dimensional Approach for Detecting SEO, WebSci21","author":"Lewandowski D","year":"2021"},{"key":"bibr44-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Lima C (2016) Trump accuses Google of \u2018suppressing\u2019 Clinton info.\n                      Politico\n                      , 28 September. Available at: https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2016\/09\/donald-trump-google-clinton-228878 (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr45-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Madrigal AC (2017) Google and Facebook failed us.\n                      The Atlantic\n                      , 2 October. Available at: https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2017\/10\/google-and-facebook-have-failed-us\/541794\/ (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr46-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Mahdawi A (2013) Google\u2019s autocomplete spells out our darkest thoughts.\n                      The Guardian\n                      , 22 October. Available at: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2013\/oct\/22\/google-autocomplete-un-women-ad-discrimination-algorithms (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr47-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1468-4446.12746"},{"key":"bibr48-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18574\/nyu\/9781479833641.001.0001"},{"key":"bibr49-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0002716206294796"},{"key":"bibr50-20539517231176228","volume-title":"The Filter Bubble","author":"Pariser E","year":"2011"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr51-20539517231176228","author":"Rieder B","year":"2012","journal-title":"Computational Culture"},{"key":"bibr52-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.14763\/2020.4.1535"},{"key":"bibr53-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/j.ctvhrcz0v"},{"key":"bibr54-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gnz172"},{"key":"bibr55-20539517231176228","volume-title":"Auditing algorithms: Research methods for detecting discrimination on internet platforms","author":"Sandvig C","year":"2014"},{"key":"bibr56-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Segal D (2011) The dirty little secrets of search.\n                      New York Times\n                      , 12 February. Available at: https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/02\/13\/business\/13search.html?src=me&ref=business (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr57-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Solon O, Levin S (2016) How Google\u2019s search algorithm spreads false information with a rightwing bias.\n                      The Guardian\n                      , 16 December. Available at: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2016\/dec\/16\/google-autocomplete-rightwing-bias-algorithm-political-propaganda (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr58-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Stephens-Davidowitz S (2019) Tech firms have a duty to face down antisemitism.\n                      The Guardian\n                      , 11 January. Available at: https:\/\/theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2019\/jan\/11\/uk-antisemitic-google-searches-tech-companies (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr59-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Sullivan D (2004) Google in controversy over top-ranking for anti-Jewish site.\n                      Search Engine Watch\n                      , 24 April. Available at: https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/2004\/04\/24\/google-in-controversy-over-top-ranking-for-anti-jewish-site\/ (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr60-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Sullivan D (2011) How Google Instant\u2019s autocomplete suggestions work.\n                      Search Engine Land\n                      , 6 April. Available at: https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/how-google-instant-autocomplete-suggestions-work-62592 (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr61-20539517231176228","unstructured":"Sullivan D (2018) How Google autocomplete works in Search.\n                      Google Blog\n                      , 20 April. Available at: https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/search\/how-google-autocomplete-works-search\/ (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr62-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/j.ctvzxxb8n.16"},{"key":"bibr63-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2460276.2460278"},{"key":"bibr64-20539517231176228","unstructured":"UN Women (2013) UN Women ad series reveals widespread sexism.\n                      UN Women\n                      , 21 October. Available at: https:\/\/www.unwomen.org\/en\/news\/stories\/2013\/10\/women-should-ads (accessed 26 May 2022)."},{"key":"bibr65-20539517231176228","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1083-6101.2007.00354.x"},{"key":"bibr66-20539517231176228","first-page":"13","volume-title":"Information Society and Globalization","author":"Van Dijk J","year":"2011"}],"container-title":["Big Data &amp; Society"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/20539517231176228","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/20539517231176228","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/20539517231176228","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T13:00:26Z","timestamp":1777381226000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/20539517231176228"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,1]]},"references-count":66,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/20539517231176228"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/20539517231176228","relation":{},"ISSN":["2053-9517","2053-9517"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2053-9517","type":"print"},{"value":"2053-9517","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,1]]},"article-number":"20539517231176228"}}