Autocomplete, a Google Search feature that uses prediction algorithms to suggest search queries as you type them, will stay neutral leading up to the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
In a blog post outlining the latest changes to its Search and News products, Google explained that all text predictions that could be interpreted as claims for or against any political party or candidate will be removed from Autocomplete.
Also, predictions that could be interpreted as claims about participation in the election, or the integrity or legitimacy of the election, will be removed. Google’s examples for this are claims such as “you can vote by phone” or “you can’t vote by phone,” as well as predictions that say “donate to” any party or candidate.
Google says its Autocomplete will stop displaying certain queries related to the upcoming elections.
Image: google
Note that you can still search for anything on Google about the election and will get the results as before, you just won’t get help from Autocomplete.
Google also said it has developed its own Intelligence Desk, a team that “actively monitors and identifies potential information threats,” including information related to natural disasters, breaking news, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Google’s algorithms will detect breaking news events within a few minutes, the company says.
Image: google
The company also says it has increased its detection time for breaking news to just a few minutes, down from 40 minutes a few years ago.
Finally, Google says it has expanded partnerships with government agencies, health organizations, and Wikipedia to provide more accurate information within its knowledge panels, which display extra information on certain topics such as COVID-19 and the elections.