How Google Skewed Search Results

 

 

 

 

” A previously undisclosed report by staffers at the Federal Trade Commission reveals new details about how Google Inc. manipulated search results to favor its own services over rivals’, even when they weren’t most relevant for users.

  In a lengthy investigation, staffers in the FTC’s bureau of competition found evidence that Google boosted its own services for shopping, travel and local businesses by altering its ranking criteria and “scraping” content from other sites. It also deliberately demoted rivals.

The report’s insight into Google’s business practices is still relevant as Google expands its own offerings. Just this month, it launched a search tool for car-insurance quotes, which competes with similar tools offered by Allstate Corp.’s Esurance, among others. It has beefed up hotel listings that compete with TripAdvisor Inc. and Expedia Inc.”

 

 

    Gee , is anyone really surprised that Google manipulates the search results of it’s users ? If ever there was a monopoly that could use a little trust-busting … and remember , this is coming from the corporation that wants to rank it’s search results by “truthiness” …  Continue reading