In a secretly recorded conversation with an undercover reporter from O’Keefe Media Group (OMG), Dakota Leazer, a growth strategist at Google, admitted that the company was running ads designed to bolster support for Harris’ campaign. According to Leazer, these ads often appear to link to legitimate news sources, misleading users into thinking they are reading unbiased reports. “It seemed like it was an ad from PBS, but it was really an ad for the Kamala campaign,” he said, suggesting the ads were crafted to appear as though they were from reputable media outlets. Leazer also claimed that a small group of billionaires, many of whom are in the tech industry, are exerting significant influence over media and politics. “A handful of billionaires are actually pulling the strings in this country,” he said, indicating that their power has led to changes in Google’s search algorithm to make content favorable to Harris more prominent. Furthermore, Leazer suggested that Google is not the only company engaging in such practices, pointing to Facebook as another platform elevating pro-Harris content. “Facebook, I feel like, is promoting content that is favorable towards her,” he said. This revelation appears to lend credence to longstanding accusations that Google has manipulated search results to influence elections. A recent report by the Media Research Center found that between 2008 and February 2024, Google interfered in U.S. elections 41 times, with the company’s actions consistently benefiting Democratic candidates. In addition, recent reports have alleged that the Harris campaign is using Google to alter news headlines without the knowledge of the publications involved, making it seem as though outlets like The Guardian, Reuters, and CBS News are endorsing her candidacy. While the ads are marked as “sponsored,” the content is reportedly written by the Harris campaign, not the news organizations themselves. Leazer suggested that Google's motives are not solely ideological but also financially driven. “I think Google believes one side will allow them to make more money,” he said, implying that the company’s decision-makers see Democrats as being more favorable to their business interests. He also admitted that political headlines generating clicks are driving ad revenue, saying, “It’s all fueled out of hate.” As the 2024 election approaches, this video could lead to heightened scrutiny of Google’s influence on the political landscape. “In the scenario that, let’s say Kamala wins and they don’t have an article put out every 15 minutes about, like, every tweet that she has, it’s like they’re going to be losing money, because they have less to write about,” Leazer explained. “And even if they have the same amount of content to write about, it’s gonna generate less clicks, because it’s going to be less interesting” to the average voter, he added.Undercover footage has surfaced showing a Google strategist acknowledging that the tech giant is manipulating its search engine advertisements to benefit Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
