FTC Accuses Google Of Manipulating Search Results To Favor Own Businesses

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Google Autocomplete Offers It’s View Of What The States Want

What Your State Wants, According To Google Autocomplete

 

 

 

 

” Google Autocomplete is notorious for taking a standard search and anticipating something completely ridiculous.

  In the style of Tumblr user Gaysquib, we conducted our own experiment and created a map of what each state wants (according to Autocomplete).

  The resulting map reads like a list of New Year’s resolutions made by Civil War veterans. Did you know, for example, that more than anything, Wyoming evidently wants an aircraft carrier? Are you close enough to Wisconsin that residents revealed their secret wish to be called “The Mitten State?” Who could forget existential Florida, whose only desire is simply “to know.”

 

 

   The artists having left out the results for six states leave us with over a third of the states wishing for either secession , independence or to split . The tally is 17 for freedom out of 44 autocompletes . That doesn’t say much for our current state of governmental affairs now , does it ?

   Trying to fill in the left out six states Google autocomplete provides us with :

Massachusetts wants … and warrants

Rhode Island (wants) … cop wants job back

Connecticut (wants) … mayor wants illegals to vote

Delaware wants … and warrants

Iowa wants … and warrants

South Dakota wants … nothing . That’s right , typing in “South Dakota wants” yields no suggestions at all . 

 

Read the rest at Mashable and be sure to check out the comments … interesting goings-on there .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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