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Google had to explain to Elon Musk how search works after he expressed bias on Election Day

Google had to explain to Elon Musk how search works after he expressed bias on Election Day

Elon Musk joined a chorus of conservative social media accounts amplifying claims that Google provided users with information about how to vote for Kamala Harris but not her rival.

The tech billionaire reposted a tweet from a graphic designer's account called DogeDesigner, claiming that Google “shows a 'Where to Vote' section with a map for Kamala Harris, but not Donald Trump.” The post also falsely claimed Google is the largest donor to the Democratic Party. (Investment firm Bain Capital is donating more, according to OpenSecrets.)

“Do others see this too?” Musk asked his more than 200 million followers.

He replied to another similar post with a curious raised eyebrow emoji.

The implication was clear. Musk, the richest man in the world and owner of

Google quickly responded to the claims.

“The 'Where to Vote?' Panel triggers some specific searches since Harris is also the name of a county in Texas,” the company wrote on X from Musk’s home base in Texas. “Also happens with 'Vance' because it's also the name of a county. Fix is ​​coming. Keep in mind that very few people actually search for polling places this way.”

“This is now fixed,” the company later said explainedwhich prompts Musk to do so Answer“Thanks for the clarification.”

The exchange does not appear to have convinced some in Musk's online circle.

Valentina Gomez, a 25-year-old Republican who briefly went viral with a series of homophobic remarks during an unsuccessful campaign for Missouri secretary of state, claimed in response to Musk: “That's a bullshit lie and they're jumping on it.” Us fix it because we caught them interfering in an election for the Democratic Party.”

Google quickly clarified that Musk's reposted claims were misunderstandings of search results in Harris County, Texas
Google quickly clarified that Musk's reposted claims were misunderstandings of search results in Harris County, Texas (The Joe Rogan Experience)

Critics claim it is Musk who is trying to undo his influence on the election.

In late October, the Philadelphia district attorney accused the billionaire in a lawsuit of running an “illegal lottery scheme” by giving swing state voters who signed a Musk PAC petition supporting conservative causes the chance to vote at a daily Raffle to win a million US dollars at random.

On Monday, a lawyer for the PAC admitted in court that the winners of the drawings were not chosen at random, but were deliberately chosen to be the group's paid “speakers.”

Attorney Chris Gober told a Philadelphia judge on Monday that there was “no prize at all to be won” and that recipients would instead have to fulfill “contractual obligations” on behalf of the PAC.

Musk argues that the prize is not about turning Republican voters to Trump, but rather about gathering supporters of a “petition in support of the Constitution of the United States and, in particular, freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.”

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