Searching for the term ‘tin-pot dictator’ on Google delivers Donald Trump as the top image result.
The outgoing US president also now features as the first result when searching for the term ‘dictator’ on Twitter, having recently risen to the top spot for the search term ‘loser’.
Both Google and Twitter rely on an algorithms to determine search results, rather than manual curation.
The algorithms consider factors like frequently associated words and the reliability of the page or account posting it.
Google’s top image for ‘tin-pot dictator’ shows a photoshopped picture of Donald Trump wearing a military outfit originally worn by deceased Libyan despot Colonel Gaddafi.
The image appears to originate from a segment on The Daily Show in 2015, during which host Trevor Noah described the similarities between the two men.
“Trump reminds me of one African leader in particular,” Mr Noah said.
“Weird hair? Check. Lavish lifestyle? Check. Fringe, discredited views about President Obama’s origins? Check.”
The image has since resurfaced and was shared online after Mr Trump failed to concede after losing the US presidential elections.
Mr Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his defeat has been labelled “totally irresponsible” by President-elect Joe Biden, who warned this week that “people may die” if his incoming administration continues to be excluded from planning around the coronavirus pandemic.
Google searches for ‘Trump dictator’ have also spiked since the election, according to the search engine’s own data. The top related query is: “Is Trump a dictator?"
Half of the top 20 image search results on Google for the term ‘tin-pot dictator’ relate to Mr Trump.
Google’s guidelines state that search results undergo a "rigorous process" involving “both live tests and thousands of trained external Search Quality Raters from around the world”.
It states: “These ranking systems are made up of not one, but a whole series of algorithms. To give you the most useful information, Search algorithms look at many factors, including the words of your query, relevance and usability of pages, expertise of sources, and your location and settings."
The outgoing president’s actions have been criticised for undermining the democratic process, while simultaneously providing a platform for unfounded and dangerous conspiracy theories about a “rigged election”.
Former Secretary of Defense and Republican Senator William Cohen told CNN last week that Trump and his administration’s conduct is “more akin to a dictatorship than a democracy”.
