March 12, 2022
As a result of supposed "misinformation" about the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the Pennsylvania-based search engine that marketed itself from the get-go as a champion of free speech and transparency for internet denizens everywhere has turned to the dark side, and begun to manipulate search results of users.
"This is not the way bro. We no longer trust anyone to decide for us what is 'misinformation'. Let us make our own calls about that. Otherwise you're just another tentacle for some Ministry of Truth"
-Response to Weinberg's Statement from Psychology Professor Geoffrey Miller
- It appears no one is neutral in the reportage of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with the supposed go-to search engine for uncensored results publicly declaring their implementation of a man-made filtering system.
- Any websites that contain "Russian disinformation" will be down-ranked via "search updates", according to CEO of the company, Gabriel Weinberg.
- Weinberg's tweet was met with strong disagreement from from both academics and journalists alike.
- CEO Gabriel Weinberg claims on his Crunchbase profile that DuckDuckGo is an "Internet privacy company that empowers users take control of their personal information online, without any tradeoffs."
DuckDuckGo was created in 2007 by Gabriel Weinberg, an MIT graduate who recently stated:
The DuckDuckGo founder elaborated:
“In addition to down-ranking sites associated with disinformation, we also often place news modules and information boxes at the top of DuckDuckGo search results (where they are seen and clicked the most) to highlight quality information for rapidly unfolding topics.
DuckDuckGo's mission is to make simple privacy protection accessible to all. Privacy is a human right and transcends politics, which is why about 100 million people around the world use DuckDuckGo. (We don't have an exact count since we don't track people.)”
The free-speech video platform Odysee, which Rumble threatened to sue, responded:
Independent journalism Tayler Hansen had this to say:
"Congratulations on being the new google!
Did the CIA donate a pretty dollar to you as well?"
Google's manipulation of search results is well-known, and despite this, millions of internet denizens continue to use the monopolistic technocratic Ministry of Truth that is the Empire of Google, with its best decision being their move to buy up YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion Google now makes more in 2 weeks what they initially paid for the most popular online video platform of all-time, with it's 2021 third quarter net profits exceeding $2.9 billion.
Hansen's comment raises the topic of the Central Intelligence Agency's Project Mockingbird, which I wrote about in my book, Public Intelligence, where I detail the rise of this new, "alternative", open-source, people's media, one that is not beholden to corporate or private interests, but rather work in the name of public interest against state corruption.
With yet another public betrayal of the public, where does the average Joe or Jill now go for a search engine they know does not have an agenda? Is this concept even possible, or is this an everlasting fight against human nature manifested through the desire to control information?
"Brave" is an alternative that has been recommended to me that I will now employ more readily as I migrate away from DuckDuckGo, yet another adaption that truth-seekers must go through in this years-long informational war for and against truth.
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