Released: January 14, 2012

FAQ: Google’s social search and its antitrust, privacy implications

Source: Hayley Tsukayama, The Washington Post

Google sparked concern this week when it announced that it will be folding users’ personal data into Google search results, including information from users’ Google networks and accounts such as Picasa and Google+ The move has not been welcomed. Notably, Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan has posted several examples of searches that show how the new search feature “pushes Google+ over relevancy,” saying that the new feature “clearly” favors Google’s social network over the results of other social networks. The tool also offers users the option to toggle between searching their own personal data and searching the Web as a whole. Google fellow and search developer Amit Singhal told The Washington Post that the new option was supposed to improve individual experiences by making search results more personal, but many say that the new feature does just the opposite.

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