In a column for The New York Times, Noam Cohen analyzes the "predicament" surrounding the loss of control of one's online identity through search engine algorithms. One such case involves a U.S. presidential candidate whose lost online identity "stands as a chilling example of what it means to be at the mercy" of a search engine algorithm. A search engine company says that "search results are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the Web," but Cohen writes that the issue should be directed at the companies, not the algorithms, "especially when it comes to hurting living, breathing people." (Registration may be required to access this story.)
Full Story