Google Uses Search To Push Its Products: WSJ (usatoday.com)

Ads for Google and related companies were found in the top spot in 91% of 25,000 searches related to items, according to a report on WSJ. For example, a search for "phones" would produce ads for Google Pixel, which the company launched last year. From a report: Similar results were found for searches on "Watches" or "smoke detector," which produced ads for Android smartwatches and Nest devices, respectively. In a statement, Google says their marketing programs are "carefully designed" to not impact outside advertisers. "All our bids are excluded from the auction when determining the price paid by other advertisers, and we have strict rules and processes -- set to tougher levels than our customers -- to govern the use of our own ads products." The auction is a process deciding which ads will appear for users when they type in certain search queries. Strategies such as using relevant keywords give advertisers a better shot at their ad appearing on a search results page.

Comments

Re:I Explain This to Millennials Constantly

[spire3661]

The problem is most of this stuff SHOULD be so low cost that it should be nearly free. Everyone should have a cheap $100 server at home that all your data flows to and you control. There is no reason for any of this basic stuff to cost so much privacy. It costs money because they want to control and shape it, not because of the technology involved. There is no reason Twitter should be burning so much cash for a TEXTING app. Its text, we solved that issue DECADES ago.

All of these monstrosities are the result of society's woeful technological ignorance, not actual costs to communicate. WE have established a future where ALL communications have the ability to have ads inserted into them. Its fucking creepy as hell.