Search Engines and Foreign Influence: How Google and Yandex Mediate Russia’s Propaganda Abroad

This cumulative dissertation examined how the US-based Google and Russia-based Yandex mediate the propaganda efforts of Russia’s ruling elites abroad on a case study of Belarus. The findings presented here contribute to a nuanced understanding of how algorithmic gatekeepers, particularly search engines, can be strategically appropriated or manipulated to reinforce and export state narratives beyond national borders. The main conclusion of this dissertation is that both Yandex and Google, albeit through different mechanisms and to varying extents, can serve as mediators of Russia’s propaganda efforts abroad.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Universität Passau

Year

2025

Author dc:creator

• Kravets-Meinke, Daria

Contributors dc:contributor

• Töpfl, Florian
• Haim, Mario

• search engines
• Russia
• propaganda

Statement dc:rights

• Creative Commons - CC BY-SA - Namensnennung - Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen 4.0 International

Repository record source_url

https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-uni-passau/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1595

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kobv.de-opus4-uni-passau:1595