How Google Alters Search Queries to Get at Your Wallet
www.wired.com
Testimony during Google’s antitrust case revealed that the company may be altering billions of queries a day to generate results that will get you to buy more stuff.

cross-posted from !google@lemdro.id

  • Google may be altering billions of search queries daily to generate results that increase purchases.
  • Testimony in an antitrust case revealed an internal Google slide about changes to its search algorithm, involving “semantic matching” to generate more commercial results.
  • Google covertly changes user queries, substituting them with ones that generate more revenue for the company and display shopping-oriented results.
  • This manipulation benefits Google’s profits but harms search quality and raises advertiser costs.
  • Despite legal challenges, Google’s market dominance allows it to continue these practices, impacting users’ ability to access unbiased information.
  • acastcandream@beehaw.org
    4·
    2 years ago

    impacting users’ ability to access unbiased information.

    I never like the implication that “unbiased” or “objective” info/searches exist. They don’t. Don’t get me wrong, google is 100% in the wrong here and is deliberately putting their thumb on the scale in a very certain way. But yeah, the “unbiased” thing always nags at me lol

        • ijeff@lemdro.idOPEnglish
          7·
          2 years ago

          Reviews that don’t involve affiliate links or products provided by the company.

          • acastcandream@beehaw.org
            3·
            2 years ago

            How do you weight the different reviews that meet this criteria? Plenty of reviews don’t involve either.

            • ijeff@lemdro.idOPEnglish
              6·
              2 years ago

              The challenge is in elevating outright paid sponsorship and affiliate material above actual reviews.