Does Googling Justice Work? Auditing Search Engines' Performance as Intermediaries of Legal Help Online

UCLA Journal of Law and Technology, Volume 29, No. 1, Pp. 37-133

97 Pages Posted: 19 Apr 2023 Last revised: 24 Sep 2023

See all articles by Margaret Hagan

Margaret Hagan

Stanford Legal Design Lab; Stanford Law School

Nóra Al Haider

Independent

Date Written: October 10, 2023

Abstract

Online search engines are key providers of legal information. Their responses to people’s search queries can influence whether and how people make use of the legal system to deal with problems like evictions, domestic violence, debt collection, and natural disasters. This article presents a new research protocol to understand and evaluate what search engines are showing to people who are seeking out legal help. Using this novel search audit protocol, the article identifies concerning trends in search engines’ responses to people’s legal queries, including low-quality information, incorrect jurisdiction, and an absence of governmental or legal aid links. The article then proposes technical and policy strategies that may improve search engines’ role in people’s attempts to access the justice system online.

In this research paper, we evaluate the search results that Google shows for common legal help queries -- to determine if the search engine shows jurisdiction-correct, issue-correct results to people seeking help. The paper raises concerns about the current algorithm's design, in connecting people to key information when their rights, houses, jobs, security, and family are at risk.

Keywords: algorithmic audits, access to justice, civil justice, legal help, digital public services, eviction, search engine audits

Suggested Citation

Hagan, Margaret and Al Haider, Nóra, Does Googling Justice Work? Auditing Search Engines' Performance as Intermediaries of Legal Help Online (October 10, 2023). UCLA Journal of Law and Technology, Volume 29, No. 1, Pp. 37-133, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4414305

Margaret Hagan (Contact Author)

Stanford Legal Design Lab ( email )

559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305
United States

HOME PAGE: http://margarethagan.com

Stanford Law School ( email )

559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305-8610
United States

Nóra Al Haider

Independent

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