cross-posted from [email protected]
- 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.
What do folks in your circle use? I’m the only person I know IRL who sometimes doesn’t use Google.
I mainly use Searx, MetaGer, and DDG. Most of the people I know are not fans of Google. I’m a little more privacy conscious than most of my friends, though. Most of them have FB and IG accounts. I don’t post anything on social media unless it’s as anonymous as it can be.