@article{ref1,
title="Equal access to online information? Google's suicide-prevention disparities may amplify a global digital divide",
journal="New media and society",
year="2019",
author="Scherr, S. and Haim, M. and Arendt, F.",
volume="21",
number="3",
pages="562-582",
abstract="Worldwide, people profit from equally accessible online health information via search engines. Therefore, equal access to health information is a global imperative. We studied one specific scenario, in which Google functions as a gatekeeper when people seek suicide-related information using both helpful and harmful suicide-related search terms. To help prevent suicides, Google implemented a &quot;suicide-prevention result&quot; (SPR) at the very top of such search results. While this effort deserves credit, the present investigation compiled evidence that the SPR is not equally displayed to all users. Using a virtual agent-based testing methodology, a set of 3 studies in 11 countries found that the presentation of the SPR varies depending on where people search for suicide-related information. Language is a key factor explaining these differences. Google's algorithms thereby contribute to a global digital divide in online health-information access with possibly lethal consequences. Higher and globally balanced display frequencies are desirable. © The Author(s) 2018.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1461-4448",
doi="10.1177/1461444818801010",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1461444818801010"
}