The Silent Architecture of Digital Vote Manipulation (US)

In this testimony before Congress, Dr. Robert Epstein warns that Big Tech companies like Google pose a monumental threat to democratic integrity through hidden psychological influence. His research highlights the search engine manipulation effect, a phenomenon where biased algorithms can silently shift the preferences of undecided voters without leaving a visual trail. Epstein argues that these ephemeral manipulations likely moved millions of votes in recent elections, functioning as a form of subliminal persuasion controlled by a technological elite. To combat this, he proposes the implementation of independent monitoring systems to archive and analyze real-time digital bias. Finally, he suggests that Congress should declare Google’s search index a public commons to dismantle its monopoly and restore fair competition to the internet.