The Google paradox: more information, less perspective; Internet search engines have tempted the business world into an electronic version of a junk food diet--by making it too easy to settle for over-simplified and pre-digested information.

The internet has changed our lives. We have more information than previous generations could even dream of, let alone access so easily with just a few keystrokes. But how good is the information and is the ease of access more apparent than real? When we search, do we find all the relevant information? Do we see a biased selection? And, biased or not, if we all see the same selection, do we risk a reduction in the variety of perspectives, and the creativity that this diversity can inspire?

It is not a new idea to suggest that information is power; or that the control of information has vital significance for individuals, organisations, and the wellbeing of political systems, indeed for society itself. But the increasing globalisation and dominance of a few search engines brings a new sense of urgency to these age-old concerns. Search engines such as Google are our points of entry into the vast information resource that is the internet. For many, Google is effectively the only point of entry, and in …