Google has clarified the recent allegations of “censorship” regarding searches about Donald Trump, which were triggered by Elon Musk’s unfounded assertion of a “search ban.” The company stated that the issue was due to a malfunction in its autocomplete system, not intentional suppression.
The same technical glitch also affected autocomplete suggestions for other political figures, including Barack Obama, demonstrating that the issue was a technical fault rather than a politically motivated action.
The controversy was sparked by a tweet from Musk, which gained widespread attention with over 118 million views. This led Google to publicly clarify the functioning of its autocomplete feature, which is a fundamental aspect of its search engine. The company’s response aimed to dispel concerns about any deliberate bias or censorship in its search results.
In other tech news, the Senate recently passed two significant bills aimed at enhancing protections for minors online. These legislative measures are designed to address various aspects of online safety for younger users, reflecting growing concerns over digital environments and their impacts on children and adolescents.
Donald Trump
Perplexity, a startup valued at $3 billion, is preparing to launch an advertising platform that will share revenue with publishers. This development follows criticism from major publications like Forbes, Wired, and Condé Nast for allegedly scraping content without proper authorization. The new initiative, set to debut at the end of September, will aim to address these concerns by involving publishers in the revenue generated from ads.
Meanwhile, Samsung is expanding its pilot program to test its Galaxy Z Flip phones as police bodycams. Initially trialed in Missouri, the program is now being extended to 25 police departments across five states.
Samsung’s foldable devices, adapted with Visual Labs’ technology, are being used to enhance police operations by providing a new way to capture and manage footage. Additionally, a robot dog in Italy, equipped with a vacuum to clean up cigarette butts from beaches, showcases innovative uses of technology for environmental protection.
