Germany wants Google to reveal its search engine algorithm
Photo from: Anthony Ryan
It isn't often that a company is asked to reveal its secrets. In those rare cases it usually relates to a public health concern. Germany believes that Google's search results are the public's concern. They feel that search is so important that Google should have to reveal its algorithm.
Google has always kept its search engine algorithm a secret for a couple of reasons. One of them being it has competitors. Many companies see Google's search as the giant in the room and have tried to duplicate or straight out copy their results. Another reason, spammers. Having a how-to on the algorithm of their search engine, would also allow spammers to better game the system.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Germany’s justice minister Heiko Maas says that Google should be more transparent about its search rankings. Mr Maas tells FT: “In the end it relates to how transparent the algorithms are that Google uses to rank its search results. When a search engine has such an impact on economic development, this is an issue we have to address.” Germany has a big impact on how Google operates since the German justice minister is also responsible for consumer protection. Mr. Maas went on to say that "the company's general web search service has a market share of more than 90% in the EU, compared with 68% in the US."
Critics have said that Google is skewing the algorithm to hurt competitors and boost its own services. The EU has had a tough relationship with Google in recent years. In May, a EU court ruled that Google would have to delete information upon request, called the right to be forgotten. This of course would have to be done through search results, as Google was not the author of the written text. Brussels also recently rejected an offer from Google to settle an antitrust case.
Germany is also pushing for a stricter privacy policy in the EU, nicknamed the anti-NSA clause. US companies would need to inform bloc authorities before handing over personal data of a EU citizen to the US government. US companies would have a problem as they could be charged for withholding data under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FICA). This is on the heels of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's leaks, and the Obama administrations successfully lobbying to water down EU legislation to change the bloc's pre internet data protection laws. Microsoft, a US based tech company, is currently fighting to not hand oversees data to the US government.
Mr. Maas also talked about Uber's court appearance saying, "that legal standards are in place for the qualification of drivers and the quality of vehicles in order to keep our roads safe. We will most certainly not change these laws, and if Uber does not fully comply then they will have to take a closer look at their business model."
