Big Tech’s Invisible Hand: How Google and Meta Manipulate Our Elections

By: Amil Imani

In an era where information is power, two corporate giants – Google and Meta – act as gatekeepers to the digital world, wielding their unprecedented market dominance not only to shape consumer habits but also to manipulate the very foundation of democracy: our elections. Let’s be honest: these tech behemoths are not neutral players. They are massive monopolies with clear political agendas, using their unmatched market power to control electoral outcomes. From Google’s biased search results to Meta’s curated feeds, evidence is mounting that Big Tech is tipping the scales – and until we strip them of their unchecked influence, nothing will change.

The idea that Google and Meta possess monopolistic power is hardly controversial. Google controls over 90% of the global search engine market, while Meta’s empire – spanning Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – commands a staggering share of social media traffic. Together, they create a duopoly that influences what billions of people see, read, and think every day. However, this dominance is not just a business achievement; it functions as a political weapon. These companies have the tools, the data, and the motive to sway voters, and they aren’t hesitant to use them.

Consider Google as an example. In 2019, psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein testified before Congress that manipulating Google’s search algorithm could have shifted at least 2.6 million votes toward Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Epstein, a former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today and a self-described liberal, is not a fringe conspiracy theorist; he is a respected researcher who has dedicated years to studying Big Tech’s influence. His findings suggest that by subtly altering search result rankings – burying unfavorable stories or boosting preferred narratives – Google can sway undecided voters without leaving a trace. In a close race, even a slight nudge can tip the scales. And with no oversight, no accountability, and no transparency, who can stop them?

Meta, meanwhile, engages in a similar practice. Its platforms operate on algorithms that prioritize content based on obscure criteria, often amplifying divisive or ideologically biased posts while suppressing others. During the 2020 election cycle, Facebook faced accusations of selectively limiting conservative pages and ads while promoting progressive messaging. Internal leaks and whistleblower accounts – such as those from former employee Frances Haugen – uncover a company culture rife with ideological bias, where decisions regarding “misinformation” and “hate speech” conveniently align with left-leaning priorities. When you control the flow of information to over 3 billion users, that’s not just influence; that’s the power to reshape reality.

Why does this matter? Because elections are not just about votes; they are about perception. If Big Tech can shape people’s views, they can influence who wins. Their incentives are clear. Silicon Valley’s workforce and donor class overwhelmingly lean left – Google employees donated to Democrats over Republicans by a 20-to-1 margin in 2020, according to OpenSecrets. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has funneled hundreds of millions into “election integrity” initiatives that critics argue disproportionately benefit progressive turnout efforts. These are not accidents; they are patterns. The agenda is not hidden; it is embedded in the system.

But Big Tech doesn’t operate in isolation. Mainstream media and educational institutions – many of which are funded or influenced by leftist titans like George Soros – amplify this distortion. Outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times echo narratives that align with Big Tech’s curation, while universities produce graduates steeped in progressive orthodoxy. For instance, Soros’s Open Society Foundations have invested billions in media and academic projects that advocate globalist, anti-conservative frameworks. Together, this trifecta – tech, media, and academia – creates a stranglehold on public discourse, drowning out dissent and shaping worldviews to fit a singular mold.
So, why are Google and Meta doing this? The answer isn’t comforting. It’s not just about ideology – though that’s a factor. It’s about control. These companies thrive on predictability, and a populace divided or aligned with their preferred outcomes ensures their dominance remains unchallenged. A conservative wave emphasizing deregulation and antitrust scrutiny threatens their empire. By manipulating the system, they protect their profits and power. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle: influencing elections, securing favorable policies, and tightening their grip.

The evidence keeps piling up, and it’s more than any patriot can bear. From Google’s suppression of Tulsi Gabbard’s ads in 2019 – right after she criticized Big Tech – to Meta’s last-minute censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020, the examples are blatant and chilling. Each revelation uncovers another layer of a system that is rotten to its core. And yet, the question remains: if they’re capable of this, what else are they hiding? The truth feels overwhelming, a betrayal of the free society we believed we had.

But despair isn’t an option; action is. We can’t allow these monopolies to hold our democracy hostage. The first step is to break their power. Antitrust enforcement must be strengthened: Google’s search engine must be separated from its ad business, Meta must be required to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, and strict transparency must be mandated for algorithms. Second, we need election safeguards: prohibit Big Tech from microtargeting political ads and mandate real-time disclosure of content moderation decisions. Finally, conservatives must create alternatives – platforms, media, and institutions that Silicon Valley’s elite can’t co-opt.

This isn’t about silencing Big Tech; it’s about leveling the playing field. They’ve had their turn rigging the system; now it’s time to take it back. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Every election they manipulate is a step toward a future where our votes don’t count, and our voices are mere echoes in their machine. We’ve seen the agenda, felt the betrayal, and understand what’s at risk. The fight starts now – because if we don’t act, nothing will change, and the invisible hand of Big Tech will tighten its grip until freedom becomes just a memory.