“Another useless update”: Google testing removing the ‘News’ tab from search results puts the internet in splits

Google, the American multinational technology company, tested removing the "News" tab from their search results this month. The temporary update has sparked a debate online about whether the change could impact news outlets.

With the increase in AI-generated content and their tendency to replace links on some of the most valuable search engines on the internet, the new age has left media types with many questions. Some asked if this would hinder website traffic, as per Times Now.

The News filter's disappearance would make it difficult for internet surfers to find published articles, which, as per Nieman Lab, would be detrimental to companies in the long run. Netizens had mixed views about the new update; some believed it was not a major change, while some said it could be a complication for many writers and creators.

However, the company brought back the feature only a few hours later, as per Google LLC.

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Netizens react as Google tests removing the 'News' tab from search results

This week, in late February, Google performed a small experiment - removing the 'News' tab from its search results. Social media users were in a frenzy over the sudden change in the layout.

The search engine confirmed some users were not seeing the News filter tab as part of ongoing testing. A Google spokesperson said in an email,

“We’re testing different ways to show filters on Search, and as a result, a small subset of users were temporarily unable to access some of them.”

The featured filters, along with News, were mainly Images, Videos, Maps, Flights, Shopping, Perspectives, etc. Netizens noticed the lack of the tab and posted about the update on X (formerly Twitter). The change and reorder usually depended on the search term, but this was different. As per Times Now, people could not see the News tab as an option even if they looked in the “All filters” drop-down menu.

The Search Liason for the LLC posted a notice on Wednesday, February 22, 2024, telling viewers that the filter was back online.

"The News filter is available to users now, and we do not have plans to remove it. In an effort to better understand the preferences of our users, we were testing different ways to show filters on Search, and as a result, a small subset of users were temporarily unable to access some of them."

Netizens began posting about the absence of the feature, while some stated that the testing was not a big issue. Some of the reactions are given below.

Netizen's question about the new update (Image via X/@PopBase)

People say they were using the tab (Image via X/@PopBase)

Social media users say the feature was of no use (Image via X/@PopBase)

In January, Google introduced two major upgrades to its search features for 2024, the Circle to Search and the AI-powered multi-search experience, as per the search engine's blog.