Author(s) :

Yumo Zheng.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This Perspective article argues that independent third-party audits of search engines are an ethical necessity since these sites wield public epistemic power without being inspectable by both researchers, users and regulators. While search engines perform the function of searching information and presenting the result, their main roles consist in filtering, ranking and personalizing contents for users. Nevertheless, the common problem with the users is that they have little knowledge about how these sites work and the system of self-regulation gives search power players a chance to control the information and the discourse of their power. In this connection, a hybrid audit governance framework, which involves the accreditation of independent auditors by a body of audit standards, graduated access corresponding to public interest in the audit process and other factors, such as privacy protections, secure audit environment, selective disclosures and complaint and remedy channels is seen as a more appropriate mechanism of accountability. Moreover, the analysis considers a number of conflicting issues with the search engines, such as trade secrecy, user privacy, search manipulation with the help of search engine optimization, problems with over regulation and potential symbolic compliance through weak audits. Thus, the search engines do not need to make their activities transparent to the public, but still they can be made auditable.