ReportWire

Tag: Google Search

  • Not So Fast, Google: That Lenient Monopoly Ruling from Last Year Is Being Appealed

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    Tech god-kings like Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai tend to win in the courts when it matters, and there’s very little chance that’s about to change, but there’s just the tiniest glimmer of hope all of a sudden.

    Legal filings reported Tuesday by Bloomberg indicated that the ruling from September of last year in which Google basically got to continue being a monopoly without significant consequences could be getting another look. The entity that originally brought suit against Google, comprising multiple states and the Justice Department, is appealing that ruling. Should that make you optimistic? Probably not, but at least it’s happening.

    In August of 2024, District Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled—to the surprise of many—that Google was a monopolist. Google, it was determined, had acted illegally to maintain its stranglehold on the search market. 

    Google controls 90% of the search engine market, and does it stay on top like this by being the best? Anecdotally, you probably answered that question with something like “no!” or “not anymore!” Google results pages are larded with spam and AI outputs that Americans aren’t huge fans of, though they also report reading them without clicking to check the source articles they’re drawn from.

    Google keeps its crown via some really ugly, but real, payola deals—like $20 billion to Apple and $8 billion over four years to Samsung—that require hardware makers to make Google the default search engine on the gadget you’re probably using to read this article.

    Considering Google has been determined by a legal ruling to be a monopoly, some reasonable remedies might have been to force Google to end this pay-to-play practice. It could have also been forced to sell off Chrome, the most popular internet browser. 

    But instead of something with teeth, we got a decision that must have been better than the best case scenario Google had in mind: forcing it to share some of its search data with competitors, and limiting the exclusivity of its paid deals with companies like Apple and Samsung while still allowing such exclusivity deals (as the New York Times notes, this part was both lenient and confusing).

    So what does the appeal mean? Honestly it just means normal and predictable things are happening in response to a big ruling. The US Court of Appeals for D.C. tends to take about a year to come to a decision after a case reaches this point. The original remedies monopoly-haters wanted, a forced sale of Chrome, or the banning of search payola deals, are theoretically back on the table. But in the event of a ruling handing down a harsher remedy, it would of course be Alphabet Inc.’s prerogative to keep the appeals process going. 

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    Mike Pearl

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  • Google’s new commerce framework cranks up the heat on ‘agentic shopping’

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    To further push the limits of consumerism, Google has launched a new open standard for agentic commerce that’s called Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). In brief, it’s a framework that combines the power of AI agents and online shopping platforms to help customers buy more things.

    Thanks to the introduction of UCP, Google is offering three new online shopping features. To start, Google’s AI mode will have a new checkout feature that allows customers to buy eligible products from certain US retailers within Google Search. Currently, this feature works with Google Pay, but it will soon add PayPal compatibility and incorporate more capabilities, like related product discovery and using loyalty points.

    On the merchant side, the UCP also established the Business Agent feature, which Google said will be “a virtual sales associate that can answer product questions in a brand’s voice.” The Business Agent will launch tomorrow with early adopters including Lowe’s, Michaels, Poshmark, Reebok and more. Also for retailers, the UCP is responsible for the new Direct Offers feature, which lets companies advertising with Google to “present exclusive offers for shoppers who are ready to buy, directly in AI Mode.” The Direct Offers feature will work in tandem with the ads in AI Mode that Google is testing.

    With UCP, Google Search, retailers and payment processors are joining forces to make online shopping even easier, whether it’s figuring out what product to buy, completing the purchase or offering “post-purchase support.” According to Google, UCP is compatible with existing industry protocols, like Agent2Agent, Agent Payment Protocols and Model Context Protocol. UCP was even co-developed with industry giants like Shopify, Etsy and Walmart, and was endorsed by even more companies in the commerce ecosystem, including Macy’s, Stripe, Visa and more.

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    Jackson Chen

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  • Google starts testing ads in AI Mode

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    Google has started inserting ads into query results from its AI Mode, which was originally spotted by an SEO consultant named Brodie Clark. These ads show up in the bottom of search results in the Gemini-powered AI Mode. They are labeled as “sponsored” content, but otherwise look similar to other links whipped up by the chatbot.

    Google says this is just a test and that ads shouldn’t be showing up for all users. The company also told 9to5Google that there are no current plans to fully update AI Mode to incorporate ads. Those are nice words, but AI has to make money somehow and ads seem to be a good way to do that.

    For now, the software seems to be prioritizing organic links over sponsored links, but we all know how insidious ads can be once the floodgates open. AI presents an especially slippery slope here, as these chatbots are often advertised as personal assistants. I don’t really want a personal assistant barking ads at me 24/7.

    Incidentally, there doesn’t seem to be any way to hide the aforementioned sponsored links. Google Search lets users hide sponsored results once they scroll past them.

    It sure looks like our free ride is already coming to an end, as AI companies are really speedrunning through that whole enshittification thing. X recently announced that it would be incorporating ads into query results.

    There are also rumors that OpenAI has been hiring people to turn ChatGPT into an ad platform. That company’s recently-launched AI social media slop factory Sora reportedly burns through $15 million a day generating videos of Sam Altman eating pizza in space or whatever.

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    Lawrence Bonk

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  • Google ordered to pay $665 million for anticompetitive practices in Germany

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    Google may have to fork over 572 million euros, or nearly $665 million, to two German companies for “market abuse,” according to a recent ruling from a Berlin court. First reported by Reuters, the tech giant was ordered to pay approximately 465 million euros, or approximately $540 million, to Idealo and another 107 million euros, or roughly $124 million, to Producto, both of which are price comparison platforms based in Germany. According to the ruling, Google abused its dominant market position by favoring Google Shopping in its own search results.

    Idealo pursued legal action against Google, claiming that the Alphabet subsidiary was “self-preferencing” its own platforms, which led to unfair market advantages that hindered competitors. The company first demanded at least 3.3 billion euros, or more than $3.8 billion, in damages in February 2025. To counter, Google said it made changes in 2017 that allowed competing shopping platforms the same opportunity as Google Shopping to display ads through Google Search.

    Idealo said in a press release that it will continue the legal pressure on Google, claiming that “the amount awarded reflects only a fraction of the actual damage.” Albrecht von Sonntag, co-founder and member of Idealo’s advisory board, added in a press release that “abuse of dominance must have consequences and must not be a profitable business model that pays off despite fines and damages.”

    It’s not the first time Google has found itself in legal trouble in Europe. Beyond Google Shopping, Google was accused of favoring its own Google Flights and Google Hotels in search results, leading the European Union to threaten massive fines for violating its Digital Markets Act. A month prior, the European Commission fined Google nearly 3 billion euros, or more than $3.4 billion, for its anticompetitive practices in the advertising tech industry.

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    Jackson Chen

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  • Joe Biden calls for Democratic momentum in Nebraska speech, urges party to ‘dream big’

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    Former President Joe Biden spoke to Nebraska Democrats on Friday evening.His appearance at the annual Ben Nelson Gala comes just days after nationwide elections. And, it was one of a handful of times we’ve heard from the former president since he left office and was undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer.On Friday, he addressed a crowd of several hundred in downtown Omaha with a message of momentum for the state of Nebraska.“Did you see the results Tuesday?” he asked, igniting another round of cheers as he listed Democratic victories from governorships in New Jersey and Virginia to the mayoral seat in New York to a redistricting decision in California, according to the Associated Press.It was a joyful return to the political stage for the former president, whose party’s effort to remain in the White House was rejected just over a year ago. Biden called for a political comeback, though not for himself, but to an audience hungry for a fight.”You have an election soon, an open seat right here in Omaha,” Biden said. “We can’t be afraid to dream big.”“You know what it feels like to be outnumbered,” he told Democrats in Nebraska, where Republicans have carried the state in every presidential election since 1968. “But every election, you put up the yard signs and you make your voices heard. The country needs you badly.”It was the kind of pep talk that sells in a place where Democrats lose statewide but have staged winning races for the Omaha area’s 2nd District electoral vote, elected a Democratic mayor for the first time since 2009 and feel energized about capturing the 2nd District seat in 2026.Biden’s speech centered around his time in office and the changes he said now hit American families during President Donald Trump’s term.He brought up the ongoing pause of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and the demolition of the East Wing.The major point from the former president centered around the future of his party.”The Democratic Party is back,” Biden said. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal. We’ve never lived up to it, but we’ve never walked away from it. And folks, we’re not going to walk away from it now. Tuesday night was a good start.”Biden was honored at the gala by four Native Nebraska tribes, draping a blanket quilt over his shoulders, which was then followed by a performance dedicated to the former president.Several other Democrats were at the gala, including Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr.__The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Former President Joe Biden spoke to Nebraska Democrats on Friday evening.

    His appearance at the annual Ben Nelson Gala comes just days after nationwide elections. And, it was one of a handful of times we’ve heard from the former president since he left office and was undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

    On Friday, he addressed a crowd of several hundred in downtown Omaha with a message of momentum for the state of Nebraska.

    “Did you see the results Tuesday?” he asked, igniting another round of cheers as he listed Democratic victories from governorships in New Jersey and Virginia to the mayoral seat in New York to a redistricting decision in California, according to the Associated Press.

    It was a joyful return to the political stage for the former president, whose party’s effort to remain in the White House was rejected just over a year ago. Biden called for a political comeback, though not for himself, but to an audience hungry for a fight.

    “You have an election soon, an open seat right here in Omaha,” Biden said. “We can’t be afraid to dream big.”

    “You know what it feels like to be outnumbered,” he told Democrats in Nebraska, where Republicans have carried the state in every presidential election since 1968. “But every election, you put up the yard signs and you make your voices heard. The country needs you badly.”

    It was the kind of pep talk that sells in a place where Democrats lose statewide but have staged winning races for the Omaha area’s 2nd District electoral vote, elected a Democratic mayor for the first time since 2009 and feel energized about capturing the 2nd District seat in 2026.

    Biden’s speech centered around his time in office and the changes he said now hit American families during President Donald Trump’s term.

    He brought up the ongoing pause of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and the demolition of the East Wing.

    The major point from the former president centered around the future of his party.

    “The Democratic Party is back,” Biden said. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal. We’ve never lived up to it, but we’ve never walked away from it. And folks, we’re not going to walk away from it now. Tuesday night was a good start.”

    Biden was honored at the gala by four Native Nebraska tribes, draping a blanket quilt over his shoulders, which was then followed by a performance dedicated to the former president.

    Several other Democrats were at the gala, including Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr.

    __
    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Apple will reportedly use a custom version of Gemini to power the new Siri

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    When Apple introduces its more capable version of Siri in 2026, it increasingly sounds like it’ll have Google to thank. Bloomberg reports that Apple is finalizing plans to use a custom version of Gemini to power the new Siri and plans to pay Google handsomely for the privilege.

    The new Siri will still use some of Apple’s homegrown models, but will also rely on a version of Gemini running on the company’s Private Cloud Compute servers to “handle Siri’s summarizer and planner functions,” Bloomberg writes. Those functions “help the voice assistant synthesize information and decide how to execute complex tasks.” Since using apps on people’s behalf is core to Apple’s pitch for its updated assistant, Gemini appears to be playing a critical role.

    Apple will reportedly pay $1 billion annually to use Google’s technology, a fraction of what Google has reportedly paid the company to make Google Search the default search option on Apple’s devices. The partnership will likely not be advertised, though, and Apple plans to eventually replace Google’s model with its own. Specifically, with “a one trillion parameter cloud-based model that it hopes to have ready for consumer applications as early as next year,” according to Bloomberg.

    Siri can use ChatGPT for specific requests as part of Apple Intelligence, and Gemini was rumored to be added as another AI option in March 2024. After Apple delayed Siri a year later in 2025, though, the need for more substantial help reportedly became necessary. The possibility of Siri being backed by Gemini was first reported in August, when Google was asked to create a version of its model that could run securely on Apple’s servers. The iPhone maker was previously rumored to have explored deals with both Anthropic and OpenAI before that.

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  • Google reportedly offers to tweak search results to avoid EU fine

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    In order to avoid paying billions of dollars in fines for violating the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Google is considering changing how search results are displayed, Reuters reports. EU regulators first took issue with Google’s Search and Play Store businesses in March 2025, claiming it favored its own services in search results over third-party options and prevented developers from informing customers of alternative ways of accessing apps.

    One of regulators main issues with Google Search was that Google appeared to favor results from services like Google Flights or Google Hotels over ones from “vertical search services,” providers that specialize in displaying search results from a specific industry, like Expedia or Hotels.com. To avoid fines, Google now wants Search to give VSS businesses equal treatment in results.

    “We will create the opportunity for each VSS to show its own box on Search. A VSS box will be populated with results from that VSS inventory,” Google said in a proposal viewed by Reuters. Results from Google’s own services will exist with the same formatting alongside, and the winning VSS box will be displayed in search results based on “objective and non-discriminatory criteria.” Importantly, search results from actual airlines and car rental companies won’t be excluded, they’ll also appear in a box “above or below the VSS box depending on the relevance to the user’s query.”

    Engadget has asked Google to comment on Reuters‘ report and to confirm the details of its proposed changes to Google Search. We’ll update this article if we hear back.

    Like Apple, Google faces significant scrutiny from the EU because of its monopolistic control over its various platforms and services. The threat of fines from the DMA has forced Apple to open up its products to third-party app stores, among a host of other changes. Clearly, Google is willing to tweak what once seemed like untouchable pillars of its business to avoid fines, too. Whether these proposed changes will be enough for the regulators remains to be seen, though.

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    Ian Carlos Campbell

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  • Google’s AI Search Live is now available to all US app users

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    Search Live is now available for Google app users in the US, offering real-time, multimodal search, powered by AI. This feature will enable users to have real-time conversations with Google Search in AI Mode while sharing their with the app. Search will be able to see and interpret what the user’s camera is focused on and offer relevant links for deeper context, as well as live guidance.

    The new feature can be accessed from a new “Live” icon beneath the search bar in the Google app. It can also be used from Google Lens by selecting the Live option at the bottom of the screen. Camera sharing will be enabled by default here to allow for an instant back-and-forth conversation about whatever is in front of you.

    Search Live is available through the Google app on iOS and Android now. This wider rollout only supports English for now.

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    Andre Revilla

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  • Rolling Stone Publisher Sues Google Over AI Overview Summaries

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    Google has insisted that its AI-generated search result overviews and summaries have not actually hurt traffic for publishers. The publishers disagree, and at least one is willing to go to court to prove the harm they claim Google has caused. Penske Media Corporation, the parent company of Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter, sued Google on Friday over allegations that the search giant has used its work without permission to generate summaries and ultimately reduced traffic to its publications.

    Penske’s argument is pretty simple: by showing an AI-generated summary of an article at the top of the page via Google’s AI Overview panel, users have little reason to click through to read the full article, resulting in dwindling traffic finding its way to the publisher’s platforms, which it needs in order to monetize its content, either through ads or subscriptions. The search engine, the company argues, uses its monopoly over search to basically make publishers give up access to their content for next to nothing.

    Notably, Penske claims that in recent years, Google has basically given publishers no choice but to give up access to its content. The lawsuit claims that Google now only indexes a website, making it available to appear in search, if the publisher agrees to give Google permission to use that content for other purposes, like its AI summaries. If you think you lose traffic by not getting clickthroughs on Google, just imagine how bad it would be to not appear at all.

    A spokesperson for Google, unspurprisingly, said that the company doesn’t agree with the claims. “With AI Overviews, people find Search more helpful and use it more, creating new opportunities for content to be discovered. We will defend against these meritless claims.” Google Spokesperson Jose Castaneda told Reuters.

    That has basically been the company line since rumbles of traffic declines started getting louder. Last month, the company published a blog post in which it claimed that click volume from Google Search results to websites has been “relatively stable year-over-year”—notably without offering a definition for what “relatively stable” is. The company also made the case that “click quality” has increased, so people who do click through are spending more time on the sites they get sent to.

    That doesn’t match up with what publishers claim to be seeing. DMG Media, owner of the Daily Mail, claims click-through-rates by as much as 89% since AI Overviews were rolled out. A Wall Street Journal report from earlier this year said Business Insider, The Washington Post, and HuffPost have all reported traffic declines. Pew Research also found that people don’t click through nearly as often when an AI overview is available, finding that people who are served search results that don’t have an AI summary click through to an article nearly twice as often as those who see an AI-generated result.

    Just for kicks, if you ask Google Gemini if Google’s AI Overviews are resulting in less traffic for publishers, it says, “Yes, Google’s AI Overview in search results appears to be resulting in less traffic for many websites and publishers. While Google has stated that AI Overviews create new opportunities for content discovery, several studies and anecdotal reports from publishers suggest a negative impact on traffic.” It might be fun to ask Google, “Are you lying about AI Overview’s impact on traffic, or is your AI assistant providing false and unreliable information?”

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    AJ Dellinger

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  • Google Is Telling People DOGE Never Existed

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    Here’s a Mandela effect event that you probably thought was real: The Department of Government Efficiency, the pseudo-agency run by Elon Musk to cut “fraud, waste, and abuse” from federal operations, didn’t actually exist. At least, that is what Google’s AI Overview response will tell you if you search certain content related to DOGE’s operations.

    A Bluesky user who goes by iucounu first pointed out this mistake in Google’s comprehension skills, finding that querying the search engine for information and the number of deaths caused by DOGE’s cutting of essential programs results in a response that claims the agency is “fictional” and from “a political satire or conspiracy theory.” Gizmodo was able to recreate these results:

    © Screengrab via Google

    According to Google, “There is no actual government department named DOGE, and the term is used in critical or satirical contexts to refer to policies or actions taken by the Trump administration.” The results expand on this later, stating, “It is crucial to understand that there is no actual government entity named DOGE, and the discussion around it is part of political discourse or satire, not a factual government action.”

    There are certainly outlets and people who have suggested that DOGE is fake, either in that it does nothing to accomplish its stated mission or actually is not a real agency established by the federal government (though it certainly functions as one). But the AI Overview does not cite any source that suggests this.

    The closest it gets to a source outright saying DOGE doesn’t exist is a link to the Democrats’ House Committee on the Budget, which has a page titled “The So-Called ‘DOGE,’” but even that offers a pretty clear statement that DOGE is not some mass delusion: “DOGE is an organization in the Executive Office of the President. It is not a cabinet-level agency with Senate-approved leadership and has no statutory authority to alter Congressionally appropriated funds.” The other sources, places like Lawfare and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, don’t even come close to suggesting the agency is a satire.

    So what gives? Google didn’t offer any explanation when contacted, though a spokesperson for the company did tell Gizmodo, “This AI Overview is clearly incorrect. It violated our policies around civic information, and we are taking action to address the issue.”

    So it looks like DOGE wasn’t all in our collective heads after all. Ain’t that a shame?

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    AJ Dellinger

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  • Google expands AI Mode beyond English for the first time

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    Google is opening up AI Mode to more languages. Starting today, the AI chatbot the company is integrating into Google Search is available in Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese.

    The company has been rapidly expanding access to the search experience. In May, Google started offering it to everyone in the US (and later the UK and India) after starting public tests just two months earlier.

    Google added more features to AI Mode in July, including support for the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and Deep Search. As of last month, AI Mode has been present in more than 180 countries. But until now, AI Mode had only been available in English. This is the first language support expansion for the chatbot.

    “Building a truly global Search goes far beyond translation — it requires a nuanced understanding of local information,” Hema Budaraju, Google’s vice president of search product management wrote in a blog post. “With the advanced multimodal and reasoning capabilities of our custom version of Gemini 2.5 in Search, we’ve made huge strides in language understanding, so our most advanced AI search capabilities are locally relevant and useful in each new language we support.”

    Google has been claiming recently that traffic to websites from Search is “relatively stable” since the rollout of AI Overviews and that “the web is thriving.” However, the company admitted something very different in a court filing last week. Its lawyers stated that “the open web is already in rapid decline.” That, plus the expansion of AI Mode, will surely be welcomed with open arms by publishers who are seriously feeling the pinch of declining web traffic.

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    Kris Holt

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  • DC high-schooler wins national Doodle for Google competition with portrait of ‘super chaotic’ family dinners – WTOP News

    DC high-schooler wins national Doodle for Google competition with portrait of ‘super chaotic’ family dinners – WTOP News

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    Maisie Derlega, who graduated from Jackson-Reed High School only a week ago, won the national competition’s top prize of $55,000 in scholarship money and a $50,000 technology package for her former high school.

    Maisie Derlega sent her Google doodle with the following prompt response: “Every Sunday night is filled with chaos, laughter, and the smell of food in my household. The standing invitation goes to any friends and family in the area. As my life grows and changes, my wish for the next 25 years is that this tradition remains a constant.” (Courtesy Google)

    A D.C. high school graduate won the 2024 Doodle for Google competition, with her design gracing the homepage of the search engine website on Wednesday, June 26.

    The Doodle for Google contest calls for students to submit creative versions of the Google logo based on a theme. This year’s theme tasked students with representing their wish for the next 25 years through art.

    Maisie Derlega, who graduated from Jackson-Reed High School only a week ago, won the national competition top prize of $55,000 in scholarship money and a $50,000 technology package for her former high school.

    Derlega told WTOP in May, when she won the statewide Google competition, that her design took her over 35 hours to complete on her iPad and was inspired by her extended family’s “super chaotic” Sunday dinners.

    The weekly dinners began a little after the pandemic, when her extended family in the area, including aunts and uncles and 1-, 3- and 5-year-old cousins, would gather around the dinner table to catch up on their weeks and share the delicious food her father cooked.

    “It’s really, really fun. And it’s something that I really look forward to,” Derlega said. “My wish for the next 25 years was not for any changes, but more kind of a consistent, to continue having those dinners. Because they mean a lot to me.”

    She says that the dinner spawned a group chat and a standing invitation for anyone to come over each Sunday, which has made her feel closer to her family and family friends. The doodle is a window into those dinners, with the evening golden hour illuminating a table full of food and motioning hands.

    “I feel like people talk with their hands a lot. And like, there’s always so much happening, like every single person is doing something different,” she explained. “The focus was to kind of show the community that forms around it. And around food, which is something that’s really important to my family, my dad’s a chef.”

    Food has always been an integral part of Derlega’s childhood, especially after her father became a chef when she was in fourth grade. Now, he’s a private chef working across D.C. and uses food to express his love for his family.

    “I feel like growing up, the way I really connected with my dad was through food. Especially because we’re both kind of creative types. And that’s kind of how we express ourselves,” she said. “I would do a lot of the baking and he would do a lot of the cooking. And so we were in the kitchen together.”

    Even thought this doodle was inspired by a tradition specific to her family, Derlega hopes people across the nation can see their own “loved ones” in the art piece.

    “I just really wanted to capture that kind of sense of chaos, but also, you know, mutual love and appreciation for each other,” she said. “I also kind of want to tell a larger story of just the importance of family and community, and kind of getting together.”

    This is the first time Derlega took part in the Google competition, but she told WTOP in May that she thought the contest was “an incredible way to put yourself out there” and that she hoped to continue her artistic journey no matter how the competition turned out.

    Derlega announced Wednesday on NBC’s “Today” show that she will be attending the University of Michigan to study art and design. She hopes to one day create illustrations for media and news organizations.

    WTOP’s Scott Gelman contributed to this report.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Emily Venezky

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  • Google Settles $5 Billion Privacy Lawsuit Over Tracking People Using ‘Incognito Mode’

    Google Settles $5 Billion Privacy Lawsuit Over Tracking People Using ‘Incognito Mode’

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  • How to Boost Your Business’ Visibility and Beat the Competition | Entrepreneur

    How to Boost Your Business’ Visibility and Beat the Competition | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Boosting recognition in your local community is crucial for businesses, regardless of their size — after all, 46% of all searches on Google include local intent, according to one report. It not only helps build a loyal customer base but also presents an opportunity to tap into the immense value of nurturing a local audience.

    Over the years, there has been a significant surge — 500% — in local Google searches with keywords like “near me” and “buy now,” the same report said, and the popularity of “shop local” messaging during the pandemic indicates a strong desire among people to engage with businesses in their community.

    Let’s explore proven techniques and actionable tips to enhance business visibility in your community. By implementing these strategies, you will not only boost your brand recognition but also foster a loyal customer base that values your contributions to the community.

    Related: Struggling in Local Search? Here’s What Your Local SEO Strategy Needs to Compete

    Importance of boosting recognition in the community

    As a local business owner, boosting your visibility within the community is essential for long-term success. It goes beyond mere visibility; it establishes a strong foundation for long-term success. By actively engaging with the local community, businesses can build a loyal customer base and tap into the immense value of nurturing a local audience.

    When businesses actively collaborate with other local organizations and participate in community events, they create impactful partnerships and demonstrate their support for the neighborhood’s well-being. This not only strengthens their brand’s presence but also directly connects them with potential customers who value local businesses.

    Furthermore, fostering interactions through localized content on social media builds bonds among residents and encourages their patronage. By positioning your brand as deeply rooted in communal values, you enhance recognition and loyalty from those who matter most: locals.

    Focus on localized efforts

    Build relationships with local institutions and organizations to enhance your visibility within the community. This can involve sponsoring a youth sports team or volunteering at a charity event. By actively participating in these initiatives, you portray your business as invested in the well-being of its surrounding area.

    Sharing these engagements on social media also piques interest and fosters trust among members of the same community. Earning their loyalty through genuine involvement facilitates word-of-mouth marketing, increasing visibility while showcasing a commitment to communal welfare.

    Local searches result in purchases 28% of the time, highlighting the significant impact of boosting recognition in the community.

    Incorporate local SEO strategies to further enhance your visibility within the community. When you sponsor a youth sports team or volunteer at a charity event, it not only portrays your business as invested in the well-being of the surrounding area but also contributes to your local SEO efforts.

    Related: How Local SEO Works and Why It Matters for Small Businesses

    Improve Google ranking

    Improving your Google ranking directly boosts business visibility in your community. It increases online presence, establishes trust, aligns with local search intent, enhances community engagement and provides a competitive advantage. Prioritizing local SEO strategies helps connect with more local customers and establish your business as a top choice in the community.

    To accomplish this, businesses can leverage the power of AI SEO and AI-driven search engines. These advanced solutions allow businesses to tailor their website content and structure to enhance visibility both for search engines and users. Notably, AI-powered search engines such as Google Bard and Bing AI have emerged, capable of understanding user intent and delivering highly relevant search outcomes.

    Key optimization tactics include optimizing website speed, ensuring mobile-friendliness and optimizing Google Business Profiles. Incorporating relevant keywords, meta descriptions and alt text further augments search engine visibility. Data analysis drives informed decision-making and facilitates ongoing SEO enhancements.

    Leverage print marketing

    Harness the power of local newspapers, magazines and direct mail campaigns to reach potential customers offline. Print materials like flyers or brochures can effectively showcase your products or services while drawing attention at community events.

    Collaborate with other neighborhood businesses for joint promotional efforts that benefit all parties involved. Thoughtfully designed print advertisements highlight brand identity and complement online strategies in a comprehensive approach to building familiarity within your target market locally, fostering loyalty and trust among prospective clients residing nearby.

    Run geo-targeted digital ads

    Geo-targeted digital ads focus on local consumers by displaying your advertisements within a specific geographic area. Utilize platforms like Facebook and Google Ads to create hyper-localized content that appeals to individuals nearby.

    This targeted approach will enable you to connect with potential customers in the vicinity who are more likely to engage with your business, driving greater foot traffic and increasing overall brand awareness among those residing or working close to you.

    Related: 5 Ways to Optimize Local Search Results and Compete With the Big Guys

    Gather reviews from local customers

    Encourage reviews on popular platforms like Google, Yelp and Facebook. Positive testimonials from local clientele build trust with potential clients in your community. To garner more feedback, try offering incentives such as discounts or contest entries for submitting a review.

    Remember to respond: Thank reviewers for their thoughts and address any negative experiences constructively. Showcasing genuine appreciation towards customer opinions strengthens relationships and can improve your overall reputation within the area you serve, propelling business growth through word-of-mouth referrals.

    Boosting your business visibility in the community requires a comprehensive approach that incorporates both online and offline strategies. By prioritizing localized efforts, improving your Google ranking, leveraging print marketing, ensuring consistent branding, running geo-targeted digital ads and gathering reviews from local customers, you can enhance your visibility within your target community. Additionally, taking advantage of Google Maps and other local services can be beneficial.

    Investing time in creating a reputation worthy of recognition by people browsing online and those within the physical area itself sets the foundation for long-term success. By implementing these strategies and actively engaging with your local community, you’ll strengthen your brand’s presence and foster a loyal customer base that values your business’s contributions to the community.

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    Sonu Yadav

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  • Google shuts down Translate service in China

    Google shuts down Translate service in China

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    Google pulled its search engine from China in 2010 because of heavy government internet censorship. Since then, Google has had a difficult relationship with the Chinese market. The end of Google Translate in China marks a further retreat by the U.S. technology giant from the world’s second-largest economy.

    Budrul Chukrut| SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images

    Alphabet’s Google on Monday said it shut down the Google Translate service in mainland China, citing low usage.

    The move marks the end of one of its last remaining products in the world’s second-largest economy.

    The dedicated mainland China website for Google Translate now redirects users to the Hong Kong version of the service. However, this is not accessible from mainland China.

    “We are discontinuing Google Translate in mainland China due to low usage,” Google said in a statement.

    Google has had a fraught relationship with the Chinese market. The U.S. technology giant pulled its search engine from China in 2010 because of strict government censorship online. Its other services — such as Google Maps and Gmail — are also effectively blocked by the Chinese government.

    As a result, local competitors such as search engine Baidu and social media and gaming giant Tencent have come to dominate the Chinese internet landscape in areas from search to translation.

    Google has a very limited presence in China these days. Some of its hardware including smartphones are made in China. But The New York Times reported last month that Google has shifted some production of its Pixel smartphones to Vietnam.

    The company is also looking to try to get Chinese developers to make apps for its Android operating system globally that will then be available via the Google Play Store, even though that’s blocked in China.

    In 2018, Google was exploring reentering China with its search engine, but ultimately scrapped that project after backlash from employees and politicians.

    American businesses have been caught in the middle of continued tensions in the technology sphere between the U.S. and China. Washington continues to fret over China’s potential access to sensitive technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

    In August, U.S. chipmaker Nvidia disclosed that Washington will restrict the company’s sales of specific components to China.

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