By Stefanie Olsen, 21 February 2005 08:55
NEWS
Google's browser toolbar is raising eyebrows over a feature that inserts new hyperlinks in web pages, giving the internet search provider a powerful tool to funnel traffic to destinations of its choice.
When web surfers install the toolbar in their Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser and click the AutoLink button, web pages with street addresses suddenly sprout links to Google's map service by default. Book publishers' ISBN numbers trigger links to Amazon.com, potentially luring shoppers away from competing book sellers. Vehicle ID licences spawn links to Carfax.com, while package tracking numbers connect automatically to shippers' websites.
Google, the world's most widely used search engine, denied that the AutoLink feature is an attempt to control which destinations web surfers visit. A company representative said on Friday that people can already choose between several map services, including Yahoo! and MapQuest, and choices for book retailers may be added in the future.
Nevertheless, some critics charge that AutoLink takes the liberty of modifying web pages to direct people the way Google sees fit. Microsoft took the same approach with its Smart Tags feature years ago and eventually pulled it because of trust and trademark concerns.
"Google is to the web what Microsoft is to PCs - the operating system everyone uses to search. It has nearly the same lock on consumers' share of mind... And millions use the Google Toolbar. They shouldn't get away with what Microsoft was unable to," Steve Rubel wrote on Wednesday on his Micropersuasion blog.
The technology dredges up a long-simmering legal debate over who owns the desktop. Does the consumer have the right to install software that can manipulate the appearance or delivery of web pages? Or does the web publisher have the ultimate say and control over how its content is displayed?
The argument is central to lawsuits in the adware industry. Many web publishers and ecommerce companies have filed suit against application makers like Claria, formerly Gator, and WhenU for using their software to deliver pop-ups advertising rival online stores at the point of purchase. While many such cases have settled out of court, there have also been some mixed jury rulings. Some judges favour the copyright owner, and some favour technology.
Richard Purcell, former chief privacy officer at Microsoft, who's now CEO of Corporate Privacy Group, said: "If I'm on Company A's website, and a third party is allowing me to direct me to Company B, there will be some controversy over who controls whose information."
A BarnesandNoble.com representative said the company is reviewing Google's new toolbar technology and is in discussions with Google about it.
Google's director of web products, Marissa Mayer, said her team had a healthy debate about how the feature would work before it was implemented. She said the group didn't consider comparisons with Microsoft's pulled Smart Tags feature. But she said that AutoLink was designed to ensure people remain in control.
"This is a user-elected feature. Upon clicking the link, we make these modifications the way you'd like us to modify the page," Mayer said. "Google has great respect for copyright owners. They're the lifeblood of search."
Stefanie Olsen writes for CNET News.com.
Comments
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1. leveebreaks
I don't understand the big deal. Many people use pop-up blockers to stop unwanted ads - surely these are a way of modifying web pages?
Anyway, the features are a value-add and are optional - you can switch AutoLink off for God's sake!!! If I wanted to track a book or album mentioned on a web page, I'd go to amazon to look for it naturally. This just speeds up the process.
I dare say any other high-profile eShops will eventually lobby Google like Barnes & Noble are doing to have their links built in.
2. anonymous
This is just the start of where the semantic web will take us.
It looks pretty crude to me, and will probably prove to be next to useless for most, but as the Web moves over to XML, expect to see search engines pop up that uncover the "hidden web".
Probably the first area that we will see move over to this if finance and insurance. Want a loan? Just put in your details, and your PC will find the best loan for you, without you having to trawl around websites or use search engines. UDDI will locate the loan providers, WSDL and SOAP will do the rest.
Well, that might be over-egging the pudding a bit, but that's the way it will go.
Oh...and before anyone says there are 'aggregators' out there (such as confused.com), they operate on a paid-for or commission basis, and Web Services will see their business model crumble.
3. anonymous
Google treads the slippery slope.
Let's all take a minute to guess how long before google takes another step towards segregated searching, forced links.
I, like many colleagues find myself rappidly disliking the google brand.
For a company that started as grass roots, they have grown to a heavy handed corporate slur very quickly.
Here's to the next ethically based search engine start-up we can all love to push google to just another engine.