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Google Will Give a Search Edge To Websites That Use Encryption

Posted by timothy on from the bit-of-an-incentive dept.

As TechCrunch reports, Google will begin using website encryption, or HTTPS, as a ranking signal – a move which should prompt website developers who have dragged their heels on increased security measures, or who debated whether their website was “important” enough to require encryption, to make a change. Initially, HTTPS will only be a lightweight signal, affecting fewer than 1% of global queries, says Google. ... Over time, however, encryption’s effect on search ranking [may] strengthen, as the company places more importance on website security. ... While HTTPS and site encryption have been a best practice in the security community for years, the revelation that the NSA has been tapping the cables, so to speak, to mine user information directly has prompted many technology companies to consider increasing their own security measures, too. Yahoo, for example, also announced in November its plans to encrypt its data center traffic.

9 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. So now Google establishes Internet standards by neilo_1701D · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm not convinced that this is a good precedent. Sure, they're encouraging sites to use HTTPS today... but what about tomorrow?

    Speculation: Websites that block competing search engines from indexing their content may rank higher in Google searches? Websites that process payments using Google rank higher in Google search?

    I'm not saying that HTTPS is a bad thing... but once they open the door once to arbitrary ranking changes done on a whim, that door can be opened again.

    1. Re:So now Google establishes Internet standards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As opposed to the currently non-arbitrary ranking algorithm? What the hell are you talking about.

    2. Re:So now Google establishes Internet standards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Don't like it, use Bing!

    3. Re:So now Google establishes Internet standards by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      While your points about the snail's pace of web "standards" development are fair, it's also important not to go too far the other way. Not so long ago, another browser became dominant in market share through pushing new but not widely supported features its own way, and people started making web sites that were written specifically to work with that browser rather than any common standard.

      That browser was Internet Explorer in the late 1990s, and the result was IE6.

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    4. Re:So now Google establishes Internet standards by just_another_sean · · Score: 4, Insightful

      but once they open the door once to arbitrary ranking changes done on a whim, that door can be opened again.

      Was that door ever closed? They're ranking algorithm has been arbitrary since the beginning and has changed very frequently over the years in an effort to reduce gaming the system and to generally improve results. If anything I'd say it's nice that they're at least telling people about this change vs. just quietly adjusting things and leaving site owners to wonder what happened to their page rank.

      --
      Creationist Textbook Stickers Declared Unconstitutional by CowboyNeal
  2. Cat blog by ZipK · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So my cat picture blog will rank lower than a competitor's SSL encrypted cat picture blog, even though neither of us require you to log in or even prove you are a cat?

  3. OK fine but give us a free CA by Cthefuture · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have no technical problem switching every website/server I have to SSL but the actual problem is the price of all those SSL certs. Most of my sites are just hobby type sites that I run for my own enjoyment and to benefit others (quite a few "others" I should mention; some of my sites are very popular). However, I don't make any money off these, in fact it already costs me money to run them.

    Now you want me to add SSL so that people can still find my relevant and useful information? Well, OK but how the hell am I suppose to pay for it? SSL server certs are expensive. The whole thing is a scam to make the few "official" CA's rich. How about some sort of official public service that can hand out server certs of every registered domain? Every domain should come with an unlimited supply of SSL certs or at least a wildcard cert and a renewal service, free of charge.

    --
    The ratio of people to cake is too big
    1. Re:OK fine but give us a free CA by RobinH · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Agreed, if Google wants to do this, maybe they should also become a free Certificate Authority. Wouldn't that tick off the Verisigns of the world...

      --
      "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
  4. Re: Great step! by Darinbob · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's already monetary discrimination, since well design sights with interesting products will show up higher in the rankings than the local mom&pop web site where they could only afford to hire a high schooler to do the design.

    The whole point of ranking is not to make sure everybody is perfectly equal, but to help the customer find the most relevant results. If I'm searching for a bank then I most certainly want a bank with security to be ranked higher than one without. However, I can see the issue that it's only Google who gets to decide what's relevant. Perhaps there should be some user specified criteria, such as letting me decide to show only IPv6 capable sites.