DEFINING AND MEASURING SEARCH BIAS: SOME PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE Joshua D. Wright, George Mason University School of Law International Center for Law & Economics, November 3, 2011 George Mason University Law and Economics Research Paper Series 12-14 Defining and Measuring Search Bias: Some Preliminary Evidence Joshua D. Wright November 3, 2011 ICLE | 4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd., Suite 102 | Portland, OR 97225| 503.770.0652 | www.laweconcenter.org
[email protected] | @LawEconCenter Defining and Measuring Search Bias: Some Preliminary Evidence Joshua D. Wright* INTRODUCTION Search engines produce immense value by identifying, organizing, and presenting the Internet´s information in response to users´ queries.1 Search engines efficiently provide better and faster answers to users´ questions than alternatives. Recently, critics have taken issue with the various methods search engines use to identify relevant content and rank search results for users. Google, in particular, has been the subject of much of this criticism on the grounds that its organic search results—those generated algorithmically—favor its own products and services at the expense of those of its rivals. * Professor, George Mason University School of Law and Department of Economics. I thank Elyse Dorsey, Stephanie Greco, Whitney Scherck, and Katie Schewietz for excellent research assistance. The International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) provided financial support for this project. ICLE has received financial support from several companies, organizations and individuals, including Google. The ideas expressed here are the author´s and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICLE, its board of directors, advisors, affiliates or supporters. 1 Yan Chen et al., A Day without a Search Engine: An Experimental Study of Online and Offline Search (Nov.