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Listen, I LOVE a good conspiracy theory. Who doesn’t? However, I prefer my conspiracy theories not actually cause people to get sick and die. It’s just how I roll.
Which is why one of the latest conspiracy theories to go viral online about Google and the coronavirus is not really my cup of tea. Nor should it be yours.
Apparently it may have began with an article by Jim Hoft on far-right website Gateway Pundit in which he stated, “Google continues to push the coronavirus panic-p*rn by pushing headlines to their users. Now imagine what they are doing to President Trump or prominent conservatives every day!”
Here’s how it works: search for “any three digit number” then the phrase “new cases.”
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1275079188437843974
No it’s a big Scam. Search any three digit number “new cases” as in 666 new cases or 123 new cases. Try two and single numbers as 11 new cases or 7 new cases.
— Eric Welch (@elsfane) June 23, 2020
I dare you to search any three digit number and “new cases” and read those headlines
— Ryan Shaw (@ryvill21) June 23, 2020
Even always level-headed former NFL running back Larry Johnson is buying into it. (Which should be the only red flag you need to know how idiotic it is.)
Trump is going to continue his campaign rally through 2 state’s (Florida, Arizona) that are currently seeing an uptick in COVID cases? 🤔
Do the research yourself. Type any 3 digit number, type new cases, hit search, repeat using any number you want. pic.twitter.com/6qrf7RNVPE
— Larry Johnson (@2LarryJohnson7) June 23, 2020
Rather than joining that club, perhaps everyone should realize that since there are any number of new cases per day in a majority of the cities/states in America that when doing a search for anything related to “new cases” it’s only logical stories about the coronavirus are at the top of the list. Maybe.
Danny Sullivan, Google’s Public Search Liaison, pointed out (accurately) on Monday, “If you search for words or figures, we try to show pages that have those words & figures. With 100,000s of pages from 1,000s of agencies with daily stat updates on COVID-19, you can search for most anything & get a match. Also works potato chips & no doubt many more terms.”
https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/1275156578300133376 https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/1275158526847942656There’s also this from over a month ago…
https://twitter.com/edgydotapp/status/1258052917686349824
But yeah… these folks are totally on to something here.
https://twitter.com/WolfeCache/status/1275281347741986817
https://twitter.com/epochchanger/status/1275274972265459713
https://twitter.com/nodramalilmama7/status/1275210215034515456
https://twitter.com/GeneralDefense/status/1275117969379655680