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«IZVESTIYA IRKUTSKOGO GOSUDARSTVENNOGO UNIVERSITETA». SERIYA «POLITOLOGIYA. RELIGIOVEDENIE»
«THE BULLETIN OF IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY». SERIES «POLITICAL SCIENCE AND RELIGION STUDIES»
ISSN 2073-3380 (Print)

List of issues > Series «Political Science and Religion Studies». 2025. Vol 52

Beyond Neutrality: Unveiling the Ideological Bias of Search Engines

Author(s)
E. V. Khramova, A. A. Mingazov
Abstract
This study examines the ideological bias of search engines and its impact on information selection, ranking, and interpretation. The empirical basis of the research consists of search results from Google and Yandex in Russian, English, and Turkish, allowing for the identification of differences in output structure, dominant sources, and semantic emphasis. The study aims to uncover the mechanisms of algorithmic content filtering and its connection to geopolitical and media policy processes. A comparative analysis of information selection was conducted, revealing the prioritization of certain categories of sources and the interpretative nuances of key concepts related to «soft power», «smart power», «humanitarian cooperation» and «media influence». The findings demonstrate that search engines are not neutral intermediaries in the dissemination of knowledge but operate within institutionally conditioned discourses, shaping a specific worldview depending on the language of the query and the prevailing political context.
About the Authors

Khramova Evgenia Valerievna, Candidate of Sciences (Political Science), Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, World Politics and Diplomacy, Institute of International Relations, History and Oriental Studies, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 18, Kremlevskaya st., Kazan, 420008, Russian Federation, e-mail: eugenlic@mail.ru

Mingazov Almir Almazovich, Rector’s Assistant, Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev–KAI, 10, K. Markx st. Kazan, 420111, Russian Federation, e-mail: need2go4night@gmail.com

For citation
Khramova E.V., Mingazov A.A. Beyond Neutrality: Unveiling the Ideological Bias of Search Engines. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Political Science and Religion Studies, 2025, vol. 52, pp. 103-114. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3380.2025.52.103 (in Russian)
Keywords
search engines, algorithmic filtering, media agenda, ideological bias, information regulation, soft power, media influence.
UDC
32.019.51
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3380.2025.52.103
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