Tech Report: Google+ Integrates With Search Function, Competitors Cry Foul
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — A new move by Google to boost its search results has angered some of its Google+ users. According to KCBS Technology Analyst Larry Magid, the dominant search engine is integrating with their social networking site.
Now, Magid said if you do a search, you may find what your friends are "liking", what they are posting, or maybe even their pictures.
The Mountain View company is trying to find ways to personalize search. Google+ is trying to become a viable competitor to Facebook and to some extent Twitter.
KCBS Technology Analyst Larry Magid Reports:
"Some people are crying foul because it's unfair to the competition," said Magid who added that people claim they're taking advantage of their power in search to promote their social network.
Other people are concerned about the privacy implications.
"You post a picture in Google+ and expect to see it there, but all of a sudden it ends up on a search. That might not be what you intended," Magid said.
However Google said there are ways to opt out. Magid criticized the option and said that generally speaking most people don't understand it, so they don't bother with it.
"It doesn't mean that everybody's going to see it if I have privacy settings turned on. It's not like it's totally public, but it may be a little more so than people had realized," he said.
Facebook has faced a backlash over changes it made to its privacy setting in the past.
You can hear Larry Magid's Tech Report Monday through Friday at 3:50pm on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM.
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