Google search history being used to work out all of people’s interests
As your interests change, so will your feed
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Your support makes all the difference.Google has revealed a new feed experience that’s designed to change the way you use its main service.
The company is using your search history to figure out everything you’re interested in, and is using machine-learning to compile a list of topics it thinks you’ll want to see.
This feed will constantly transform itself as your interests change.
For instance, if Google knows you’re really interested in cooking but have just developed an interest in photography, the feed will be weighted more towards cooking than photography.
However, if Google sees that your passion for photography is growing and your interest in cooking is decreasing, your feed will evolve to reflect that.
It will use information gathered not only from Google’s main search engine, but also its other big services, such as YouTube and Maps, and additional information like your location.
“Since introducing the feed in December, we’ve advanced our machine learning algorithms to better anticipate what’s interesting and important to you,” wrote Shashi Thakur, Google’s VP of engineering.
“You’ll see cards with things like sports highlights, top news, engaging videos, new music, stories to read and more. And now, your feed will not only be based on your interactions with Google, but also factor in what’s trending in your area and around the world. The more you use Google, the better your feed will be.”
The result of this will be an interface that encourages you to stick around for longer, as Mr Thakur says, “even when you don’t have a query in mind”.
You can access the feed by scrolling down on the Google app on Android and iOS, but it’s only available to users in the US right now.
It will roll out internationally in the next two weeks.
Fortunately, Google lets you access and delete all of the information it has on you. Here’s how to do it.
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