Inside the “Black Box” : An investigation into search engine result page.

The digital transformation of the media landscape has impacted how the Dutch access information, primarily through search engines using personalisation algorithms. This study examines how these algorithms affect information diversity in the Netherlands, focusing on search result diversity and ranking mechanisms. Data was collected using a browser extension to capture search engine result pages (SERPs) for 21 keywords across five search engines over a week. Each participant conducted one search to avoid duplication, allowing for a comparison of information diversity. Results show a low degree of information diversity, particularly with Google, where search results were relatively homogeneous and differences were mainly in ranking positions. This suggests minimal impact from personalisation algorithms. The study also identified “Gender” and “Political affiliation” as influential socio-demographic factors, though model accuracy was low, indicating potential for more significant findings with larger samples. The conclusion highlights limited information diversity in the Dutch digital ecosystem, leading to similar search results regardless of demographic differences. This suggests epistemic equality on a societal level but restricts exposure to diverse viewpoints individually, steering users towards mainstream narratives. Future research should investigate the specific types of content presented to understand what is considered mainstream.