Google Offers Some Disturbing Suggestions

Update: Google appears to have removed the "little kids" suggestions.

Original Article: Google’s "suggest" feature can be quite useful. It can save you time when typing your query if you happen to be searching for something that a lot of others have searched for before you. The feature is even useful for Google itself, because a while back, they began incorporating ads into it.

Google Suggest has some problems though. This is nothing new. People have discovered some strange suggestions from time to time. One that has been discussed around the web frequently this year for example, is Google’s suggestion of "Why wont my parakeet eat my diarrhea" when a user begins a query with "why won’t". This one has even repeatedly made it onto the Google Hot Trends list.

That one was kind of funny (if that’s your sense of humor), but Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable is pointing to a more disturbing set of suggestions from the search engine. When a user begins a query with "little kids," the very first suggestion is "little kids having sexs". Among the other suggestions on the list are "little kids dancing nasty," and "little kids grinding."

Schwartz also pointed to another suggestion from Google saying "I am Extremely Terrified of Chinese People" that a user is presented with when beginning a query with "I am".

Schwartz notes that Google’s suggestions are purely algorithmic. It’s not as though Google’s staff is actually encouraging searches like these, but the suggestions do highlight the need for some adjustments and/or human intervention.

In the case of the "little kids" suggestions, Schwartz says a Google employee responded to his report by saying, "Thanks for reporting this to me — I’ll take a look." However, at the time of this writing, each of the aforementioned suggestions are still in place.

Have you seen other inappropriate or otherwise odd suggestions from Google Suggest? Share in the comments.

Related Articles:

> Google Puts Ads in the Search Box

> Google Suggest Goes Worldwide

> Google Adds "Real-Time" Suggestions to Google News

There are 14 Comments. Add Yours.

Lanta
December 3, 2009 at 12:26 am

Looks likes its fixed now and completely wiped. “little kids having” “babies” is still there although. This is something I use quite often to give a few kw ideas, but i`m thinking the flaw might be self-fulfilling popularity.

I guess popularity is a large factor and having 10 popular suggestion presented makes them more popular. It seems to be regional also.
andrew
December 3, 2009 at 7:40 am

Im not really sure we even need such a feature. When I type something in I usually know what Im looking for but I only get distracted when the suggestion thing comes up and go to something that sounds interesting but not what Im looking for. I think we can do without it to be honest.
Noo Yawka
December 3, 2009 at 9:41 pm

I guess google can count, but doesn’t know how to count morality. Numbers are easy. Have a conscience is a mess.
Guest
December 4, 2009 at 8:48 am

You wanna see some random funniness…. just type into Google “I like to.” Hilarity ensues.
- Chris Crum
  December 4, 2009 at 11:13 am
  
  Nice. You can find all sorts of interesting suggestions if you mess around with it for a minute or two.
marcspark
December 4, 2009 at 8:49 am

I am never interested in the suggestions google serves me, if I am searching for something I use the keywords I want to use and maybe phrased in the order to get the desired result… I never click on suggested keyword phrases by google out of curiousity as it will most likely take me off topic to what I am looking for, solution? learn how to search, its not just about keywords, its also the order that the keywords are phrased that serve the right results….
promark
December 4, 2009 at 7:32 pm

I think this is something we can do without. But it does give a scary insight to what is being typed into that search window.
www.h1n1virusfacts.com
December 6, 2009 at 10:20 am

Google used these results to display advertising? Using certain KW’s or phrases to set up the displaying of webpages using Adwords?
- www.h1n1virusfacts.com
  December 6, 2009 at 10:25 am
  
  Not web pages but web addresses. ie: someone types in h1n1 and a list of h1n1 related addresses or domain names are displayed?
GK
December 6, 2009 at 10:50 am

I feel this feature should de disabled by default, and if you still cant get what you are looking for, then might give it a try. Google should also try to add a bit of math for allowing users to view non-filtered contents or matured contents. This might ward of kids who are looking for explicit contents on the web …..may be to some extend.
Guest
December 6, 2009 at 12:56 pm

Well, you also have to love Google’s insistent need to contribute to the infringement of copyrights (when exactly will someone sue them already). How often do you type the title of a CD, book, or movie and get the “torrent” “rapidshare” and “download” suggestions? They even pop up at the bottom of results pages. These may be popular, but Google ought not to be suggesting them. Just like you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater, sites and suggestions promoting illegal activities, should be filtered out and not show up at all.
Mats
December 6, 2009 at 1:28 pm

Suggestions are welcome. Especially if the user is new to internet search and does not have a good vocabulary. The suggestions are god sent. But of course if wrong suggestions come up then some thing needs to be done to rectify it. The “little kids” search sure looks scary.
tradeshowTerry
December 10, 2009 at 10:49 pm

I like the feature. Assuming a majority of searchers will actually use the suggestions, it’s a great source for keywords in our PPC and SEO campaigns.
Guest
February 9, 2010 at 3:34 pm

look at “how can” Very disturbing. is there any way to complain to google about this?