Google accused of showing YouTube videos before competing platforms like Facebook in search results

Also mentioned is that the first page in the result is usually decided by Google executives to drive traffic to YouTube. And this has been done since years, claims the report.

YouTube logo. (HT Tech)

Looks like Google is not playing fair with millions of users who are searching for information on its search platform. According to media reports, the company is giving preference to its own YouTube videos over other competing platforms like DailyMotion and Facebook in its search results. This has been done as Google engineers have made several changes to give preferences to YouTube, says The Wall Street Journal. Also mentioned is that the first page in the result is usually decided by Google executives to drive traffic to YouTube. And this has been done since years, claims the report.

The Journal also conducted tests in March this year using different IP addresses and searching Dailymotion and Facebook videos on Google for specific topics. These videos were also posted on YouTube. As a result, Google search result ended up showing YouTube videos and giving it more irrespective of views and comments.

In the result, the YouTube video that was also available on Facebook, was seen in the first slot inside the video carousel in search results 95% of the time. However, in the case of Dailymotion, YouTube results showed up first 82% times. The test was done with some Twitch videos as well. The videos on gamer-focussed platform ‘sharply underperformed'.

When asked, Google's spokesperson said there was no preference given to YouTube videos. “Our systems use a number of signals from the web to understand what results people find most relevant and helpful for a given query,” said the spokesperson to The Journal.

Google has been showing the video carousel in its search results since past couple of years now. It still shows video thumbnails for most of them today.