Leak Archives

For years, Google has presented itself as the champion of unbiased search results, prioritizing user intent and high-quality content. However, a recent leak of internal Google documents has cast doubt on this narrative, revealing a complex ranking system heavily reliant on user clicks and potentially contradicting past statements from the company.

Black Samsung Tablet on Google Page — Photo by PhotoMIX Company on Pexels

What Leaked?

In late May 2024, a significant leak of internal Google documents, believed to be part of the company’s Content API Warehouse, surfaced online. This leak offered a glimpse into the previously hidden world of Google’s search algorithms, detailing ranking systems, data storage practices, and user interactions.

google api content warehouse quality navboost 1536x860 1 — Source: SparkToro

One of the most intriguing revelations from the leak concerns the prominent role of user clicks in Google’s “NavBoost” system. The documents highlight how NavBoost analyzes clicks, including the number and duration (short clicks versus long clicks), to assess user satisfaction with search results. This emphasis on clicks raises a critical question: does it contradict Google’s past statements about ranking factors?

The Leak Contradicts Google’s Official Statements

In past public pronouncements and legal battles (such as the American Department of Justice case against Google), Google representatives have emphasized factors like content quality, backlinks from reputable websites, and user experience metrics (mobile-friendliness, page speed) as major contributors to search ranking. However, the leaked documents elevate the importance of clicks, potentially suggesting a greater influence than previously acknowledged.

This discrepancy between past statements and the leak’s revelations raises concerns about potential bias or manipulation within search results. Critics argue that an overreliance on clicks could lead to scenarios where sensationalized content or websites with “clickbait” tactics receive higher rankings despite offering lower-quality information. This could ultimately distort user access to accurate and valuable online resources.

How Will This Impact Search and Google?

The Google Search leak represents a turning point in the ongoing conversation about search engine transparency. While the leaked documents don’t provide a complete picture, they highlight a potential disconnect between Google’s public statements and its algorithmic practices.

The question remains: how will Google respond to this leak? Will it address concerns about click-based bias and strive for greater transparency in its search ranking system? Ultimately, the future of unbiased search results depends on Google’s commitment to fostering a fair and informative online landscape.

This leak serves as a stark reminder of the need for ongoing scrutiny and accountability in the realm of search engines. Only through transparency and a focus on user intent can Google maintain its reputation as a reliable source of information in the digital age.

After the whole hoo-ha at MWC, OPPO too had delayed their launching of the OPPO Find X2 to a later date. But it did not take them long to set a new date for their launch. The OPPO Find X2 will be launched on March 6 possibly alongside with the OPPO watch.

But wait! The specifications have been leaked, you say? The OPPO Find X2 has been spotted for sale on SouthEast Asian eCommerce site, Shoppe. The listing of the OPPO Find X2 is listed by OPPO’s official Vietnam Store with a price at 40 million Vietnamese Dong which translates to MYR 7,310 and USD 1,724 which is quite steep, considering. But we will have to wait and see the pricing once it is revealed.

Other details immediately found on the listing is that it will come with 8GB of RAM paired to 256GB of storage. There will also be two different colour options that are in Vietnamese which we did not understand but with the power of Google Translate, we manage to get something out of it. The two colours are Ocean Blue and Blue Night Sea which we assume is green with a blue hue colour and the second colour would be black with a blue hue to it.

Scrolling further down we will find a screen size of 6.5 inches with reports of a possible 120Hz refresh rate with 240Hz sampling rate. Which will be exciting especially for intense games such as PUBG and Mobile Legends. But that’s not all, the Find X2 will feature a 3K display according to a tweet from Brian Shen who is OPPO’s VP and President of Global Marketing. This means that the display would likely have a 3,000 x 2,000 pixel resolution.

To capture the moments, the Oppo Find X2 comes with a triple rear camera set up consisting of a 48-Megapixel main camera, an 8-Megapixel and a 13-Megapixel sensor. The rear cameras are said to be using a periscope lens that is able to have a digital zoom of up to 60x. The front of the phone, on the other hand, has a 32-Megapixel camera. There are rumours that the phone would be coming with a 44-Megapixel punch-hole dual front camera instead though.

To power up all these fancy features of the phone, the battery comes with a 4,065 mAh capacity. 4,065 mAh isn’t exactly large these days but it should still be a decent amount for you to last throughout the day. All this power will be powering the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor that will be 5G ready. Of course, it will be using Type-C connector. It does not seem to have a 3.5mm headphone jack, bummer. We are taking all these things with a pinch of salt though. We can only confirm the final specs of the OPPO Find X2 when it launches on the 6th March, 2020.