  Does the central role that major SECs like Google and Bing now play as “gatekeepers” of knowledge in our information society entail some special responsibilities for them? Hinman (2005, 21) lists four reasons why these companies should shoulder significant social responsibility. First, he notes that search engines “play an absolutely crucial role” in accessing information and that without them, the Web would “simply be inaccessible to us” and thus “almost useless.” Second, he points out that access to information is “crucial for responsible citizenship,” also noting that “citizens in a democracy cannot make informed decisions without access to accurate information.” Third, Hinman notes that search engines have become “central to education,” and he points out that students now search on Google and other major search engines more frequently than they visit libraries. Fourth, he points out that major search engines are owned by private corporations – i.e., by businesses that are mainly, and “quite properly,” interested in making a profit. Regarding Hinman’s fourth point, it would seem that conflicts can easily arise because of an SEC’s mission to be profitable and its broader societal role in providing access to information in a manner that is fair, accurate, and unbiased.