Search engines are fairly dumb database apps.
It's the people targeting them by feeding the false info (SEO poisoning) that are interesting. A large group are legitimate businesses from the advertising sector. Some seem to have no obvious commercial purpose. From pure propaganda to stock market manipulation. Others are just lowlife making a couple of cents a click.
Once you know where to look, it's pretty obvious. Like the few names that seem to pop up only on fake news in my Google News. I don't think Google is pushing those. I don't know who is, but whoever it is, they're pretty well funded and pretty persistent. Even the lowlife, who feed on hard to find service manuals that lead to whatever if you follow their links.
Now I know Google was funded with CIA money, but that doesn't mean they are a CIA tool. A lot of US companies will oblige the CIA, just like Israelis can't say "no" to the Mossad.
I use a browser that cuts out all advertising. Except for the advertising disguised as links in search engines. And it's annoying that when you search for gear, the manufacturer's site is the needle in the haystack of resellers. But that's unavoidable. We need to sell. Look at how the GearSlutz team is running their show. They know their weight. It's another thing with propaganda. If you can afford to run a number of server farms, you can "sell" anything to Google.
I don't know about the FB whistleblower. I avoid most things about FB. Google was interesting to study. FB is... too disturbing. They're crooks. I hope they get caught. And by that I don't mean regulated, but thrown in jail for years. The complete lack of morals is blatant.
