Google’s “Preferred Sources” feature, touted as a way to bring more quality journalism into search, is actually a free pass for more garbage in search. By shifting responsibility to a manual setting almost no one will use, Google leverages this feature to keep the open web at bay while prioritizing its own AI interfaces. This move gives Google a user-choice argument that sidesteps concerns about bias or manipulation.
– **Preferred Sources** are intended to elevate high-quality journalism but instead serve as a backdoor for low-quality content.
– The feature is designed to be manual and thus unlikely to be used by average users, allowing Google to maintain the illusion of transparency while controlling the narrative.
– This shift prioritizes Google’s internal systems over open web standards, potentially leading to a decline in user trust and search quality.
Originally published at the-decoder.com. Curated by AI Maestro.
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