Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Google speaks against search engine manipulation allegations
Google speaks against search engine manipulation allegations
By Christina DesMarais, PC World (US) | Jun 13, 2012
0 comments
Digg
PrintGoogle is aggressively defending itself against accusations it manipulates its search results based on ad payments, and it is encouraging users to go elsewhere if they don't like what the company does.
A recent blog it posted came in response to a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece in which Nextag CEO Jeffrey Katz slammed the company and its practices.
Katz wrote that his comparison shopping site analyzes the search traffic it receives from Google and can tell "when Google makes changes to its algorithms that effectively punish its competitors," including his company.
"Our data, which we shared with the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 21, 2011, shows without a doubt that Google has stacked the deck. And as a result, it has shifted from a true search site into a commerce site -- a commerce site whose search algorithm favors products and services from Google and those from companies able to spend the most on advertising," Katz wrote.
Google was quick to counter with a detailed blog to defend itself.
Senior VP of Engineering Amit Singhal wrote that Google's natural search results are never influenced by payment and that its "ads and commercial experiences are clearly labeled and distinct from the unpaid results, and we recently announced new improvements to labeling of shopping results."
Google announced those "improvements" to shopping results on May 31 and said by the end of the year its product search results will be limited to paid advertising and be called Google Shopping. It said this would lead to better shopping results for users because "having a commercial relationship with merchants will encourage them to keep their product information fresh and up to date."
Similar
Add comment
knowledge_central_tab
Knowledge Central
Accelerating the Deployment of the Evolved Cyber Range
Ixia BreakingPoint creates an Internet-scale cyber range environment from a single 7-inch-high device for arming and training cyber warriors. Learn how BreakingPoint can be used by organizations to defend national interests by assessing, educating, and certifying elite cyber warriors and equipping those forces to harden the resiliency of critical network and data center infrastructures.
A Six-Step Plan for Competitive Device Evaluations
This paper presents a six-step methodology for conducting competitive product evaluations that provide advance insight into the performance, security, and stability of devices within production network and data center environments. Following this will give insights on how to evaluate and select the network or security devices for Enterprise, Federal, and Carrier Infrastructures
A Case Study of Eurograbber: How 36 Million Euros was Stolen via Malware
This is a case study about a sophisticated, multi-dimensional and targeted attack that stole an estimated 36+ million Euros from more than 30,000 bank customers from multiple banks across Europe.
Symantec, Singapore school partner to nurture next-generation security talents
Symantec Corp. and the Singapore Management University will jointly train and equip IT security professionals with the latest knowledge and skill sets in information security.
