Google News Briefly Featured Links to Prediction Market Polymarket
Links to the betting platform Polymarket appeared within Google News search results and personalized feeds before being removed, with Google stating the inclusion was an error.
Summary of Events
Links to betting markets on the Polymarket platform were displayed within Google News results, including in personalized "For you" sections and search results for topics like cryptocurrency prices and geopolitical events.
Following a media report and user complaints, Google removed the links. A company spokesperson stated Polymarket had "briefly appeared in Google News in error" and no longer surfaces in the service.
Initial Reports and User Observations
Multiple technology news outlets, citing a report by Futurism, detailed the appearance of Polymarket links. According to these reports:
- Links appeared as large blocks directing users to prediction markets where they could bet on real-world outcomes.
- Instances were observed in the "For you" section of Google News and as top results for searches such as "Bitcoin price."
- One cited example showed a Polymarket link appearing in search results for queries about the Strait of Hormuz, allowing bets on the number of ships that would transit the passage.
- Some users reported the ability to set Polymarket as a selectable news source within Google News, which would direct to an aggregated page of its betting markets.
User reports on social media indicated the links began appearing prominently in late March 2024. However, at least one user reported seeing similar Polymarket results within Google News search results as early as January 2024.
Google's Response and Removal
After the reports circulated, Google addressed the situation. Spokesperson Ned Adriance provided a statement to multiple news outlets, including The Verge and Engadget:
"Google News is designed to show sources that create content about current issues, events, and important topics, and we have policies for sites to be eligible to appear. This site briefly appeared in Google News in error, and it is no longer surfacing in News."
Following this statement and the initial report, some users and journalists noted difficulty replicating the earlier findings, suggesting the links had been removed from the platform.
Background and Context
- Existing Partnership: In November 2023, Google announced a partnership with Polymarket and another prediction platform, Kalshi. The stated purpose was for these platforms to feed prediction data into Google's finance products. The announcement did not reference Google News.
- Platform Characteristics: Polymarket is a prediction market where users can place bets on outcomes of real-world events, including political elections, financial markets, and geopolitical developments.
- Unclear Connection: It is not clear if or how the existing Google Finance partnership was related to the appearance of links within Google News. Google's statement characterized the News inclusion as an error.
- Media Outreach: Several reports noted that Polymarket and Kalshi have been actively pursuing partnerships with journalists and news outlets.