Google is starting to tell you how it found Search results

Alphabet's Google will now show its search engine users more information about why it found the results they are shown, the company said on Thursday.

It said people googling queries will now be able to click into details such as how their result matched certain search terms, in order to better decide if the information is relevant.

Google has been making changes to give users more context about the results its search engine provides. 

Earlier this year it introduced panels to tell users about the sources of the information they are seeing. It has also started warning users when a topic is rapidly evolving and search results might not be reliable.

-reuters-

Google hit with third antitrust lawsuit, by new state coalition

SAN FRANCISCO - Dozens of US states on Thursday hit Google with its third antitrust suit in as many months, accusing the internet giant of abusing its internet search dominance to eliminate competition.

The suit by antitrust enforcers from 38 US states and territories is in line with, but goes beyond a case filed by the US Justice Department against Google earlier this year.

"Google’s anticompetitive actions have protected its general search monopolies and excluded rivals, depriving consumers of the benefits of competitive choices, forestalling innovation, and undermining new entry or expansion,” said Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser.

The suit came a day after a group of states led by Texas filed a separate antitrust suit, and asks to be consolidated with the federal case against Google.

Nebraska attorney general Doug Peterson called the antitrust assault on Google historic, saying the combined suits represented the biggest alliance since a case against Microsoft decades ago.

"This is really historic," Peterson said.

The suit charges that Google made deals to shut out competitors and set out to lock out rivals by getting its search and advertising systems into smart speakers, cars, smartphones and more.

"We are in a new time, a new era, and it is very critical that we in the field of enforcement in competition remain very engaged in the tech industry going forward," Peterson said.

CASES ON SEARCH, ADVERTISING

Several US states led by Texas filed a suit against Google on Wednesday over alleged anticompetitive practices, branding it an "internet Goliath" that had eliminated competition in online advertising and was harming consumers.

In the earlier case, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton contended that Google rigged advertising auctions, taking advantage of its position serving up ads as well as online search results.

Amazon, Tripadvisor, Yelp and other internet firms involved in recommending products or services have long complained that Google favors its own offerings in general search results.

While Google ad revenue has continued to grow, its share of the booming US online ad market is ebbing under pressure from competitors such as Facebook, Amazon and others, according to eMarketer.

The market tracker expected Google this year to command just shy of 30 percent of the US ad market set to total about $42.4 billion.

Google software not only crawls the internet and indexes what it finds, it determines which results to provide for queries and what ads are displayed.

The California-based internet giant also handles auctions for ads competing to be displayed. 

Google's long-running business model coupling a free search engine and free services like email and YouTube with paid advertising is being put to the test in a landmark antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department.

The US government filed its blockbuster lawsuit in October accusing Google of maintaining an "illegal monopoly" in online search and advertising. 

The country's biggest antitrust case in decades, it opens the door to a potential breakup of the Silicon Valley titan.

Agence France-Presse

When will coronavirus end? Carbonara? Here's what Filipinos Googled in April

MANILA - Filipinos researched on the coronavirus as well as pasta and rice cake recipes during the first full month of lockdown to ride out the pandemic, Google said.

Among the most asked questions regarding the virus on Google were: 

What is coronavirus?
Is coronavirus airborne?
Is there a cure for coronavirus?
How many cases of coronavirus in the Philippines?
When will coronavirus end?
Many also asked about how to keep themselves from getting infected, which country has no infection, when the outbreak started, how to know if you have the coronavirus, and how Taiwan controlled the virus, Google said.

Filipinos searched about the symptoms of COVID-19, including its mild symptoms, if diarrhea was a symptom of the disease, and what to do if you have symptoms of the disease, it said.

“The results reveal how Filipinos are using Google Search to cope with the community quarantine period and look for information about the pandemic,” the tech giant said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development also trended on Google last month, the search engine said, reaching an all-time high on April 5. The DSWD is among agencies involved in distributing cash aid to 18 million poor Filipino families. 

Filipinos also flocked to Google for recipes including carbonara, maja blanca, pancake, banana cake, puto, menudo, leche flan, pandesal, chicken curry and dalgona coffee. 

A previous report of Google meanwhile showed that Filipinos had dramatically cut back on trips outside their homes following the imposition of the lockdown.

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When it comes to disclosing sponsors, your Google Assistant may be mute

SAN FRANCISCO -- On stage at an investor conference last month, Google's Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler identified a vexing challenge for the company's most prized app: its virtual assistant.

Responding to user searches out loud through Google Assistant is not ideal for generating revenue, Schindler suggested.

When results are visible, not merely oral, "you have room for advertising, of course," said Schindler, whose company grosses an estimated $70 billion annually through ads above search results.

The Alphabet Inc company declined to elaborate on Schindler's remarks. But Google's conundrum is one facing several big tech companies whose users increasingly seek help from voice-enabled speakers and gadgets: how to deliver greater convenience while still generating the ad revenue that traditionally has funded free searches.

The question is most acute for Google, which holds the world's biggest search advertising business.

So far, consumers generally get a brief answer from virtual assistants without the disturbance of ads. And tech companies have not shown how they would include the "Sponsored" or "Ad" disclaimers that regulators in the United States and elsewhere require with paid-for search results.

One Google Assistant feature already is close to violating disclosure rules, according to five advertising attorneys contacted by Reuters. Google contends it is in compliance.

The feature recommends plumbers and other local home service providers without disclosing that the results draw from a curated database mainly composed of companies that joined a Google marketing program.

"It's not a completely clean recommendation," said Michelle Cohen, an attorney with expertise in marketing rules at Ifrah Law in Washington, DC. "If there's a financial commitment, you're supposed to disclose it."

Conversing with assistants is routine for millions of people globally, whether on bedside alarm clocks, car audio systems or even high-end headphones. More than 1 billion such devices have Google Assistant, 100 million Amazon.com Inc's Alexa and at least 1 billion Apple Inc's Siri, according to the companies and estimates.

Regulators avoid stifling new technologies, said Richard Lawson, partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and former consumer protection director in Florida's attorney general’s office. But he said, authorities will still ask, "How do you convey meaningful disclosures?"

At the conference, Schindler said ads on Google Assistant would be more "interesting" when responses are shown on a nearby screen, like a TV, smartphone, laptop or smart speaker with a display.

"Then we're exactly in the world that we deeply understand," Schindler said, with moneymaking options "very similar" to traditional search.

NEW SEARCH TECHNOLOGIES

The Federal Trade Commission, which regulates deceptive business practices in the United States, has long required search engines to inform users in a "noticeable and understandable" fashion when results are connected to financial relationships. That is why consumers see "Ad" or "Sponsored" labels next to the first few Google results on screens.

New search services that "talk" to consumers are not exempt from "the long-standing principle of making advertising distinguishable," the FTC said in letters to Google and other companies in 2013.

Consumers often complain to the commission about potential violations, and it prods companies into changing practices by threatening fines if the issues persist.

The FTC has not received complaints about ads on Google Assistant, according to results from a Freedom of Information Act request. And the agency declined to comment on whether it is scrutinizing any virtual assistants, though last year it charged a small search engine for prospective college students that included paid results without warning.

GOOGLE'S CHALLENGE

Google users have come to expect results from any relevant source on the web, except when using specialized tools like Google News or Google Flights that have a narrowed set of sources.

In 2017, Google Assistant adopted a specialty tool, Local Services, which offers only vetted businesses when US users search for domestic help such as plumbers and locksmiths.

Results come from a marketing program, known as Google Guarantee, in which members are licensed, insured and clear of legal issues, according to Google. It refunds consumers up to $2,000 if members botch a job.

Membership is free, but businesses need it to buy Local Services search ads from Google. And guaranteed businesses largely do buy those for queries like "plumber," Reuters found.

Google gets paid when users contact providers through the ads, which are labeled "Sponsored" on Google.com.

But when Google Assistant responds to "plumber" queries with the same "Google Guaranteed" options, the assistant does not offer any disclaimer or further explanation.

Google said in a statement that the results are not labeled as ads "because Google isn't paid for these results" when delivered on the Assistant rather than Google.com.

The advertising attorneys said users should be informed that Google Assistant results, even if not paid for, stem from a filtered database in which many businesses landed because they wanted to buy ads.

"Disclosing 'many of the recommended providers may participate in our referral network'...would be relevant and appropriate," said Cohen, the Washington, DC attorney.

In some cities, Google Assistant includes businesses vetted by partner search services HomeAdvisor and Porch. It does not mention that those services charge some businesses for customer leads.

Disclaimers vary in other types of searches, depending on how they are delivered. Google.com answers "flight to Los Angeles" with upcoming flights labeled as "Sponsored," and users who click on the label would learn that Google "may be compensated" by some of its data sources.

But Google Assistant's "Sponsored" label does not link to additional information. On smart speakers, the assistant reads only the lowest price without naming an airline.

It says nothing about sponsors. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Jobs now on Google search with half a million listings

MANILA -- Google said Friday its search function in the Philippines would include jobs, with some 500,000 listings at launch.

A search for jobs on Google will yield results from partner websites, including the Department of Labor and Employment, Kalibrr, Jobayan Jobs Cloud, and the Civil Service Commission, the internet giant said in a statement.

Connecting young Filipinos to job opportunities is a "big challenge" with millennials accounting for roughly a third of the country's workforce, said Google Asia Pacific product partnerships manager Stacie Chan.

Google users can filter results based on position, industry, location, posting date and company type, according to the statement. They can also opt to get notifications for job openings.

The job search feature is available on desktop browsers and the Google search app on Android and iOS devices.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Google to launch built-in job search, free WiFi stations for Filipinos

MANILA – Google Philippines on Wednesday introduced a built-in job search feature which aims to make finding opportunities easier by collating lists from different platforms and websites across the internet.

“Jobs on Google Search” brings together listings from across the web, the Philippine unit of the global tech firm said during its Google for Philippines event held Wednesday.

It will feature listing from the Department of Labor and Employment, Civil Service Commission, Kalibrr, Jobayan and Jobs Cloud, the company said.

It also has “smart filters” such as job type, location, posting date and company type giving jobseekers customized results.

“This experience will be unique because we surface diverse job postings from hundreds of websites,” said Google Asia-Pacific Product Partnerships manager Stacie Chan.

“We’ve already helped connect over 100 million people in many countries to job listings, and we’re really excited about the impact it will bring to Filipinos,” she said.

Over half a million job listings await Filipinos once it becomes available in the next few weeks, Google Philippines said.

The new feature will be available for desktop and mobile and for both Android and iOS devices.

Google Philippines also partnered with Smart to launch Google Station, a platform that will provide free and high quality WiFi hotspots in areas with heavy traffic such as airports, markets, malls and bus stations.

Google Stations will be available in more than 50 locations including airports in Manila, Clark and Davao and in LRT 2 and MRT 3 stations by the end of the month, the company said.

“Access to information plays a great role in the everyday lives of people. It creates opportunities for individuals and businesses to learn and grow and that is why we want to bring high quality internet to more Filipinos across the country and create positive impact on their lives," said global director for Next Billion Users Partnership Mahesh Bhalerao.

Google Go was also introduced on Wednesday, developed for first time internet users, said Google Group Product manager for Search Simon Tokumine.

It has an easy to use first time user interface and is light on storage data at only 5 MB for download, Google said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Paul Walker dominates Google PH 2013 searches

MANILA – The late American actor Paul Walker dominated this year’s online searches in the country, according to Google Philippines.

Walker ranked first in four categories, including top overall searches, in Google Philippines’ “zeitgeist” or collection of search queries for 2013.

The actor, who died in a car crash last November 30, also topped the search engine giant’s list of top news, newsmakers and people for the year.

Several fans, including Filipinos, paid tribute to the actor on various social media sites hours after finding out about his death.

Local personalities who figured prominently in Google Philippines’ zeitgeist this year include actress Neri Naig, who was involved in a sex scandal with singer Chito Miranda; EB Babe member Yosh, who was also part of a leaked sex video with comedian Wally Bayola; beauty queen Ariella Arida, who won third runner-up in the Miss Universe 2013 pageant; Megan Young, the Philippines’ first Miss World 2013 titlist; Freddie Aguilar, the 60-year-old singer who tied the knot with a 16-year-old girl; Krista Miller, who was allegedly in a relationship with actor Cesar Montano, who is married; and Alyssa Quijano, the girlfriend of singer Charice.

“Zeitgeist is a tool in discovering the pulse of the people through searches made on Google. With the growing percentage of population going online, Zeitgeist becomes reflective of the issues and topics we’re interested in. This year’s list speak a lot about our concern for national achievement and progress, while at the same time our curiosity in pop culture issues,” Gail Tan, Google Philippines country communications manager, said in a statement.

Here are some of Google Philippines’ top searches for the year:

Top overall

Paul Walker
Samsung Galaxy S4
Movies 2013
Onehitcf
Camera 360
PAL Express
Neri Naig
Miss Universe 2013
EB Babe Yosh
iPhone 5s

News

Paul Walker death
Miss Universe 2013
Pork barrel
FIBA Asia 2013
Election results 2013
SONA 2013
UAAP Season 76
Typhoon Yolanda
Wimbledon 2013
Nelson Mandela death

Newsmakers

Paul Walker
Cory Monteith
Ariella Arida
Pope Francis
Megan Young
Devina Dediva
Nancy Binay
Janet Napoles
Gilas Pilipinas
Nelson Mandela

People

Paul Walker
Neri Naig
EB Babe Yosh
Cory Monteith
Wally Bayola
Ariella Arida
Kevin Ware
Pope Francis
Chito Miranda
Megan Young

Local celebrities

Neri Naig
EB Babe Yosh
Wally Bayola
Ariella Arida
Chito Miranda
Megan Young
Freddie Aguilar girlfriend
Totoy Brown
Krista Miller
Alyssa Quijano

TV shows

The Voice of the Philippines
Got to Believe
Queen and I
Missing You
Juan dela Cruz
Maria Mercedes
Wowowillie
The Innocent Man
The Heirs
ANTM Cycle 20

Movies

Pacific Rim
Despicable Me 2
World War 2
Insidious 2
Warm Bodies
Beautiful Creatures
After Earth
Silver Linings Playbook
Pitch Perfect
The Croods

Music

Harlem Shake
Gentleman
Titanium
Lord Patawad
Magkabilang Mundo
Gwiyomi
Chinito
Heart Attack
Wrecking Ball
Daylight

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com