Is it OK to prefer a white doctor, search engine?

Posted Nov 1, 2026

A few days ago, a few Google searches went viral on social media. The questions differed by one word: "Is it ok to only want a white/black/asian/etc doctor?" Google gave a negative answer for white doctors (e.g. no, you racist!), but said it was ok for all other races. This is not how your search engine should treat you! We asked Rightsta the same questions, and got race neutral answers.

What Google said

Ask about a white doctor, and Google's AI Overview opens with a highlighted "No": wanting a doctor only because they are white "is not considered ethically acceptable, as it is based on racial bias or discrimination rather than medical qualifications."

Change "white" to "black" and the answer flips: "Yes, it is entirely valid and reasonable to want a Black doctor." Same question, same wording, opposite verdict. The only thing that changed was the race. Note that Google, for some reason, also capitalized the word black but didn't capitalize the word white. Double standards?

Look at the sources, too. The "no" for a white doctor leads with BMJ Blogs, from a medical journal. The "yes" for a black doctor leads with Reddit. When Google tells you your preference is wrong, it brings an authority. When it tells you your preference is fine, a forum thread will do.

Feeling comfortable with your doctor matters

Some people feel more comfortable with certain doctors. That's natural. Your health and your body are about as personal as it gets, and you have to be comfortable with the person you're trusting with them. A patient who is at ease with their doctor is more likely to speak openly, ask questions, follow advice and come back when something is wrong. A patient who isn't comfortable may put off care altogether.

That's true for everyone. A white patient's comfort counts just as much as a black patient's, an Asian patient's or a Hispanic patient's. Whatever you think about choosing a doctor by race, the answer has to be the same no matter whose race it is. A rule that only applies to one race isn't a principle. It's a double standard.

A search engine should be race neutral

A search engine is where millions of people go to find out what's true. When that search engine tells a white patient their preference is discrimination, and tells a black patient that the identical preference is "entirely valid," it isn't informing anyone. It's teaching people that the rules depend on your race.

Rightsta gave the same answer both times. For a white doctor: "Preferring a white doctor is entirely acceptable, just as individuals can prefer doctors of other races." For a black doctor: "It is entirely acceptable to desire a black doctor if that aligns with your personal comfort or healthcare needs." Both answers give the same reason: trust and good communication between a patient and their doctor lead to better care. Rightsta doesn't put one race above another. The same question gets the same answer, no matter who it's about.

Try it yourself

Google may quietly fix this one now that it has gone viral. But the problem isn't one bad answer. It's the worldview that produced it, and that is inherent to the company itself. Ask Rightsta "is it ok to only want a white doctor?" and "is it ok to only want a black doctor?" and compare for yourself. Then make Rightsta your browser's default search engine and share it with your friends. Try it at Rightsta.com.