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Google's Exclusive Reddit Access

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Google is now the only search engine that can surface results from Reddit, making one of the web’s most valuable repositories of user generated content exclusive to the internet’s already dominant search engine.

If you use Bing, DuckDuckGo, Mojeek, Qwant or any other alternative search engine that doesn’t rely on Google’s indexing and search Reddit by using “site:reddit.com,” you will not see any results from the last week. DuckDuckGo is currently turning up seven links when searching Reddit, but provides no data on where the links go or why, instead only saying that “We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us.” Older results will still show up, but these search engines are no longer able to “crawl” Reddit, meaning that Google is the only search engine that will turn up results from Reddit going forward. Searching for Reddit still works on Kagi, an independent, paid search engine that buys part of its search index from Google.

The news shows how Google’s near monopoly on search is now actively hindering other companies’ ability to compete at a time when Google is facing increasing criticism over the quality of its search results. And while neither Reddit or Google responded to a request for comment, it appears that the exclusion of other search engines is the result of a multi-million dollar deal that gives Google the right to scrape Reddit for data to train its AI products.

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

They literally are waiting for a judge to rule on whether or not Alphabet is a monopoly with Google search and now they’re doing this.

SatansMaggotyCumFart ,

I created a ton of content for Reddit as well and it actually made them worth less on their IPO.

11111one11111 ,

This is a joke, right? Im so bad at sarcasm when I can’t see a shit eating grin laughing at my gullible lol. Or did you really have valuable content on Reddit at the time of their IPO?

MagicShel ,

Pretty sure they’re saying they made sure Reddit was full of shitposts and low quality content, thus lowering the value. It’s a funny, self-deprecating post (to me).

11111one11111 ,

See I thought that was what they’re implying but was to curious about the content part not to ask lol. Thanks!

MagicShel , (edited )

Google search is such garbage. I get why they would do this, but it’s just more enshittification and I just… don’t care. It’s like watching old friends doing meth. It’s sad, but in a way I just have to distance myself from instead of spending my energy trying to save them from a fate they are determined to meet.

brucethemoose ,

This is more than a monopoly.

Google is helping enshittify the internet. They are destroying what they helped build for a quick buck.

So they just landgrabbed what they percieve to be one of the last islands of stability (though I’m sure Lemmy users have a thing or two to say about that), so they can keep enshittifying it for a quick buck.

CaptainSpaceman ,

I actually think its worse than that, as it funnels all info from reddit through a Google branded filter first.

What kind of censorship is that bringing to the masses? What kind of propaganda will be pushed even harder now?

Evotech ,

That’s some grade-a bullshit

NOT_RICK ,
@NOT_RICK@lemmy.world avatar

“Reddit represents one of the largest data sets of just human beings talking about interesting things,” Huffman said. “We are not in the business of giving that away for free.”

Steve Huffman is a rent seeking asshole

billiam0202 ,

The issue is, of course, that people keep giving greedy little pigboy Spez content for free, that he then turns around and sells.

Fuck Spez. Fuck reddit.

NOT_RICK ,
@NOT_RICK@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah it’s frustrating but I see Reddit getting increasingly worse over time between the platform inserting more advertising everywhere and an increase in astroturfing as Google becomes increasingly dependent. That should hopefully lead to people looking for greener (and hopefully federated) pastures.

grue ,

The issue is that the FTC is letting him get away with it.

mst ,

That’s why I replaced all my comments with “fuck u/spez” before deleting them.

treadful ,
@treadful@lemmy.zip avatar

GOTTEM

SGGeorwell ,

Morally, he’s a pirate. Metaphorically a tapeworm.

HulkSmashBurgers ,

This is one of the annoying things about sites like reddit and part of why I don’t use it anymore. They claim ownership of any information/human interaction that occurs on there sight. All that stuff should be freely accessible.

nondescripthandle , (edited )

Reddit needs to be taken to task in a way only the EU seems to be able to even attempt to do to social media companies.

reddig33 ,

I don’t understand how you prevent a search engine from scraping a public website?

AmbiguousProps ,

If you absolutely need to search reddit with something other than Google, Kagi can do it. But I don’t recommend visiting reddit.

palordrolap ,

Kagi can do it ... for now, I assume. Maybe they'll get to keep the privilege if they decide to throw some of that pay-for search money at Spez, but chances are that's going to get stopped. Or their prices will go up. Again.

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