• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

2

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

1

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

2

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
TechGoogle

A Top Google Result for the Holocaust Is Now a White Supremacist Site

Jeff John Roberts
By
Jeff John Roberts
Jeff John Roberts
Editor, Finance and Crypto
Down Arrow Button Icon
Jeff John Roberts
By
Jeff John Roberts
Jeff John Roberts
Editor, Finance and Crypto
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 12, 2016, 5:50 PM ET
Otto Frank
Dr. Otto Frank holds the Golden Pan award, given for the sale of one million copies of the famous paperback, ?The Diary of Anne Frank?. The story of the Jewish family who went into hiding in 1942 in Amsterdam, where they remained undiscovered for two years. After discovery and eventual death, the diary was returned to Dr. Frank, the families only survivor. The award was made in London on June 14, 1971 at the Waldorf Hotel. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)Photograph by Dave Caulkin — AP

Something unsettling is happening on Google. Querying the search engine for “did the Holocaust happen” now returns an unexpected first result: A page from the website Stormfront titled “Top 10 reasons why the Holocaust didn’t happen.”

Stormfront is an American neo-Nazi group created by a former boss of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan, and is virulently anti-Semitic and anti-black.

The group’s appearance on the Google search results was reported by the Guardian on Sunday and, as of Monday afternoon ET, it remains the top result. Here is a screenshot:

screen-shot-2016-12-12-at-4-03-40-pm

The implications are alarming. Due to the search engine’s placement of the website, a young person unfamiliar with history, or a person seeking to validate a conspiracy theory, could easily get drawn into the Stormfront site as a jumping-off point for research.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Of course, this isn’t the case for all holocaust-search results. A user who types in the word “holocaust” will find Wikipedia entries and academic research sites. But the “did the holocaust happen” results are still important because the query is not an esoteric one and because Google will auto-complete the phrase for anyone who types “did the hol..” as the Guardian points out.

The search results also triggered outrage on social media:

So WRONG @Google!! Please fix this https://t.co/8mO9Sgd2p9

— Tina W (@tmwinsett) December 12, 2016

Unfortunately, it also attracted a number of trolls on Twitter who celebrated the result, including former politician David Duke, a white supremacist and avid Donald Trump supporter:

https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/808425737044819970

In response to a question from Fortune, a Google spokesperson suggested the company does not intend to do anything to change the search results.

“We are saddened to see that hate organizations still exist. The fact that hate sites appear in Search results does not mean that Google endorses these views,” said the spokesperson in a statement. According to the company, a site’s ranking in search results is determined by computer algorithms using hundreds of factors to calculate a page’s relevance to a given query.

“We do not remove content from our search results, except in very limited cases such as illegal content, malware and violations of our webmaster guidelines,” the spokesperson said.

Google Adds Tweets to Search Results

The flap over the holocaust phrase comes a week after Google faced a similar controversy over auto-complete results that suggested a “are Jews evil” query.

For the company founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the surge of anti-Semitism on their website is likely distressing since both men are Jewish, and have wrestled with how to preserve the integrity of search results while not giving license to hate.

As Stephen Levy recounted in In the Plex, a history of Google, Brin confronted a similar problem in 2004. Aghast about anti-Semitic search results, Brin also didn’t want to impose his view on the world saying, “It’s a bad technology practice.” (In response, Google decided to insert sponsored ads explaining offensive search results.)

For those displeased with the recent holocaust search results, one Twitter user suggested a possiblesolution —trying to dislodge them by clicking on different results in a bid to dislodge the Stormfront page.

Google "did the holocaust happen" then click the good ones. I got:
😡 Neo-nazi site
✅ Wikipedia: Holocaust Denial
✅ Holocaust Museum https://t.co/kQ9peXcuQi

— Black Lives Matter – Benjamin Rahn (@brahn) December 12, 2016

It’s not clear, however, if such a tactic will work. In any case, the controversy is likely to provide yet more grist to an ongoing debate over the power of algorithms run by Google and Facebook to provide the public with information.

About the Author
Jeff John Roberts
By Jeff John RobertsEditor, Finance and Crypto
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jeff John Roberts is the Finance and Crypto editor at Fortune, overseeing coverage of the blockchain and how technology is changing finance.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Ex-Google engineer turned $7.2 billion AI CEO gets thousands of job applications a day but still can’t find candidates with a strong work ethic
SuccessCareers
Ex-Google engineer turned $7.2 billion AI CEO gets thousands of job applications a day but still can’t find candidates with a strong work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 26, 2026
53 minutes ago
le
AIReligion
Pope Leo called AI an ‘instrument of domination, exclusion and death.’ Anthropic was in the room
By Nicole Winfield, Kaitlyn Huamani, Paolo Santalucia and The Associated PressMay 25, 2026
15 hours ago
r
EuropeRussia
A country of 2.9 million people on Russia’s border just had 600,000 national records stolen
By The Associated PressMay 25, 2026
15 hours ago
g
EnvironmentLaw
You can’t repair your tractor because Hollywood was terrified of the VCR
By Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
16 hours ago
Antonio Gracias, founder, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Valor Equity Partners
InvestingSpaceX
Elon Musk’s best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX’s IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
By Eva RoytburgMay 25, 2026
19 hours ago
Huawei touts chip breakthrough to shorten gap with TSMC
AsiaChina
Huawei touts chip breakthrough to shorten gap with TSMC
By BloombergMay 25, 2026
20 hours ago

Most Popular

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Economy
The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
By Nick LichtenbergMay 25, 2026
24 hours ago
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
Travel & Leisure
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
By Catherina GioinoMay 25, 2026
20 hours ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
Investing
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
By Eva RoytburgMay 25, 2026
19 hours ago
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 25, 2026
20 hours ago
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Lifestyle
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
By Sasha RogelbergMay 24, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.