Research In India Claims To Show How Search Rankings “Could” Impact Elections
Psychologist and researcher Robert Epstein has published research (embedded below) that he contends shows how search rankings “have the potential to profoundly influence voters without them noticing the impact.” He calls this capacity the “Search Engine Manipulation Effect”…
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Holi Google Logo Celebrates India’s Festival Of Colors On Google India’s Homepage
While many will see a St. Patrick’s Day logo on Google’s homepage today, Google India users will see a Holi logo to mark India’s spring festival of colors. Celebrating the arrival of spring, Holi events include a Holika bonfire on the eve of the holiday with singing and dancing….
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EU Settlement Nearly Done, Google Antitrust Drama Shifts To India
Although the Google antitrust settlement in Europe isn’t final it appears we’re in the final minutes of the final act. There still may be a surprise or two in store but we mostly know how this story is going to end. Now it appears the Google antitrust drama is shifting to India, where…
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Google Publishes Full Text Of EU Antitrust Agreement
This afternoon on its European Blog Google’s General Counsel Kent Walker exposed the full text of the company’s third-proposed and tentatively accepted antitrust settlement agreement with European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. Almunia previously declined to make the full…
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It’s Done: Google Settles Search Antitrust Case In Europe
Roughly a year after Google settled an antitrust investigation with the US Federal Trade Commission, Bloomberg is reporting that Google and the European Commission have reached a final settlement that would end the regulator’s antitrust search investigation against the company. According to…
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Report: Google Close (Again) To EU Antitrust Settlement
The third time may be the charm. According to Reuters Google is (once again) “close to settling a three-year antitrust probe by European regulators after it offered ‘much better’ concessions” to the European Commission (EC). However Google has been here before. Two previous…
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Israel Wants To Tax Google To Support Local Content Publishers
A new bill making its way to Israel’s parliament (the Knesset) would assess a tax of 7 percent on search engine ad revenues to subsidize local content publishers. The story was reported in the Financial Times. While it’s not explicit or exclusive to any individual company, the bill has been…
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German Courts Follow French Ruling & Order Google To Block Max Mosley Images In Search Results
Google has lost another case in the Max Mosley lawsuit, this time in Germany. According to a Reuter’s report, a German court has ruled Google is responsible for distributing scandalous pictures of the former Formula One president, and is ordering the search engine to block links to the images…
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EU Wants More Search Concessions, Google Defies French Authority
Round and round she goes. The European Commission is seeking a final round of “concessions” from Google in an 11th hour effort to settle potential antitrust claims against the company. EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia made public statements asserting that Google needs to…
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Ryanair CEO Claims Airline Is Working With Google On A Flight Search & Comparison Tool
In an interview published by Irish Independent, Irish airlines Ryanair CEO Michale O’Leary claims his airline has entered a partnership with Google, and is providing the search engine with flight pricing to help build a travel search and comparison tool. “We’ll be sharing the…
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Simone De Beauvoir Google Logo Has Come To Stay In A Number Of Countries, Just Not The US
A number of Google international homepages are celebrating feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir’s 106th birthday with a Beauvoir-inspired Google logo, but there’s no sign of The Second Sex author on Google’s US homepage. The Simone de Beauvoir Google logo includes a head shot of the…
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EU: Google Antitrust Concessions “Unacceptable” As Second Study Condemns “Rival Links”
European Union competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia announced Friday in a Spanish radio interview that Google’s second round of concessions in its current antitrust settlement proposal were “unacceptable.” The main obstacle to settlement is still Google’s treatment of…
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Canada’s Competition Bureau Escalates Google Antitrust Investigation
Canada’s Competition Bureau (CCB) has indicated that it will proceed with a formal antitrust investigation against Google. The CCB had been engaged in a preliminary inquiry. A new CCB court filing requests a range of documents that will potentially show, according to the CCB, Google’s alleged…
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Sponsored Study Argues Google’s “Rival Links” Don’t Drive Enough CTRs To Rivals
Google’s original antitrust settlement proposal, negotiated with the European Commission, was attacked by Google competitors and critics as being a token concession to competition. Anti-Google lobbying group FairSearch.org sponsored a consumer study that argued Google’s presentation of…
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European Publishers File New Antitrust Complaints Over Google News & Images
European newspapers, magazines and photographers are not happy with Google and how their content and images are shown in the Google search results. IDG News reports Google was slapped with a new antitrust complaint over Google Images. EMMA wrote that newspapers and magazines are “extremely…
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Google To Get EU “Watchdog” As Part Of Antitrust Settlement
The New York Times is reporting that as part of the anticipated antitrust settlement in Europe Google is likely to be subject to a “watchdog” overseer. This role is explained in a “96-page [job] description” according to the paper: Among the details of the job: The title is…
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French Court Orders Google To Remove Max Mosley Images From Search Engine Results
After making a public plea for the European courts to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former Formula One president Max Mosley, Google found out today the French court has ruled in favor of Mosley and is forcing the search engine to censure search results. A…
New Google Antitrust Offer A “Significant Improvement” Says EU
After Google’s competitors loudly complained about the company’s antitrust settlement proposal, which displayed three “rival links” to alternative’ search results, European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said it would take new “concessions” for…
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Shake Up In Chinese Search Market As Engines Merge
In a move somewhat reminiscent of the back end merger of Yahoo and Microsoft’s search engines, the number three and four search sites in China are set to combine assets and cross-promote in a nearly $450 million deal writes ZDNet. The deal involves Chinese online portal Tencent’s Soso…
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New “Concessions” From Google Seek To Avoid EU Antitrust Penalties
According to Reuters the European Commission (EC) says Google has submitted a new settlement proposal with “further concessions” in its bid to end the antitrust inquiry against the company. If the parties fail to reach agreement the EC has the ability to fine Google a percentage of its…
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