Google search spike casts doubts on Brexit knowledge

Google search spike casts doubts on Brexit knowledge

People walk past a 'Vote Leave' sign as they arrive to cast their ballots at a polling station in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Thursday. (AFP photo)
People walk past a 'Vote Leave' sign as they arrive to cast their ballots at a polling station in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Thursday. (AFP photo)

The United Kingdom may have voted to leave the European Union, but a look Google searches in the UK raises suspicion that voters didn't fully understand either side of the issue.

According to Google Trends data, the world's largest search engine saw a 250% surge in searches for "what happens if we leave the EU?" at around midnight local time, two hours after the polls closed.

The question of "What is the EU?" was the second highest search in the United Kingdom since results were officially announced this morning.

Google's data provides a unique insight into the thought process of voters before, during and after the polls closed. Perhaps a harbinger of things to come, searches for "leave" surged in the country as polls closed, pulling away from an otherwise tight search race with "remain." The number one question on the European Union in the United Kingdom was "Why should we stay in the EU?"

The reverse, "Why should we leave the EU?" was the second most popular term, followed by "what will happen if we leave?", "who won the EU debate?" and "which countries are in the EU?"

On the specific issue of the EU referendum, how to vote was the top UK query followed by "what is Brexit?"

Scotland, which voted to remain in the EU, saw "What if England votes to leave and Scotland votes remain" rise to the third highest "what if" search in the country on queries relating to the EU Referendum since the polls closed. Scotland is preparing for a second independence vote following the Brexit results.

The official results resembled the neck-and-neck pattern relayed in Google's trends throughout the last week, with the final tally being 52% for leaving and 48% for staying. A 72% voter turnout suggests many voters were able to find their polling stations.

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