Life Lessons with Dr. Bob

Ep41 Dr. Robert Epstein: The Dark Side of Google and Big Tech

November 27, 2023 Dr Bob / Dr. Robert Epstein Episode 41
Life Lessons with Dr. Bob
Ep41 Dr. Robert Epstein: The Dark Side of Google and Big Tech
Show Notes

We are proud to welcome the infamous Dr. Robert Epstein to the show: American psychologist, professor, author, and journalist. This is an interview that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

***Epstein has been an outspoken critic of Google and has proposed methods for reducing the threat that Big Tech poses to free-and-fair elections.
***In 2013, Epstein discovered a phenomenon he termed the Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME), an internet-influence effect that could give a dominant search engine company the power to determine the outcome of close elections.
***In experiments begun in 2016, Epstein determined that search suggestions—and the suppression of negative search suggestions—can also be used to manipulate votes and opinions, a phenomenon he termed the Search Suggestion Effect (SSE).


Dr. Robert Epstein was awarded a Ph.D. in psychology by Harvard University in 1981, was editor in chief of Psychology Today, and has held positions at several universities including Boston University, University of California, San Diego, and Harvard University.

Epstein has been a commentator for National Public Radio's Marketplace, the Voice of America, and Disney Online. His popular writings have appeared in Reader's Digest, The Washington Post, The Sunday Times (London), Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Parenting, and other magazines and newspapers.