The manipulation of electoral preferences has been examined by Rob Epstein, and more particularly the influence of search engines rankings (especially Google for its predominance) on voting preferences (referred to as Search Engine Manipulation Effect, SEME). According to a 2015 study, higher-ranked items connected with web pages that favor one candidate, have an impact on the opinions of undecided voters. Evidence from five experiments in two countries suggests that “(i) biased search rankings can shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20% or more, (ii) the shift can be much higher in some demographic groups, and (iii) such rankings can be masked so that people show no awareness of the manipulation.” The authors of the study conclude that “if Google favours one candidate in an election, its impact on undecided voters could easily decide the election’s outcome.” While the results of this study may need to be corroborated by further research, one might concur with the authors’ conclusion that it is “even more disturbing” that “the search-ranking business is entirely unregulated”.