Google Search Caught Publicly Indexing Users' Conversations With Bard AI (venturebeat.com) 13
An anonymous reader quotes a report from VentureBeat: SEO consultant Gagan Ghotra observed that Google Search had begun to index shared Bard conversational links into its search results pages, potentially exposing information users meant to be kept contained or confidential. This means that if a person used Bard to ask it a question -- possibly even a question related to the contents of their private emails -- then shared the link with a designated third-party, say, their spouse, friend or business partner, the conversation accessible at that link could in turn be scraped by Google's crawler and show up publicly, to the entire world, in its Search Results.
Google Brain research scientist Peter J. Liu replied to Ghotra on X by noting that the Google Search indexing only occurred for those conversations that users had elected to click the share link on, not all Bard conversations, to which Ghotra patiently explained: "Most users wouldn't be aware of the fact that shared conversation mean it would be indexed by Google and then show up in SERP, most people even I was thinking of it as a feature to share conversation with some friend or colleague & it being just visible to people who have conversation URL."
Ultimately, Google's Search Liaison account on X, which provides "insights on how Google Search works," wrote back to Ghotra to say "Bard allows people to share chats, if they choose. We also don't intend for these shared chats to be indexed by Google Search. We're working on blocking them from being indexed now."
Google Brain research scientist Peter J. Liu replied to Ghotra on X by noting that the Google Search indexing only occurred for those conversations that users had elected to click the share link on, not all Bard conversations, to which Ghotra patiently explained: "Most users wouldn't be aware of the fact that shared conversation mean it would be indexed by Google and then show up in SERP, most people even I was thinking of it as a feature to share conversation with some friend or colleague & it being just visible to people who have conversation URL."
Ultimately, Google's Search Liaison account on X, which provides "insights on how Google Search works," wrote back to Ghotra to say "Bard allows people to share chats, if they choose. We also don't intend for these shared chats to be indexed by Google Search. We're working on blocking them from being indexed now."
What in the hell does Ghotra think SHARE means? (Score:3)
Especially at Google!!!!
Re: (Score:2)
I have trouble rooting for a SEO consultant.
Public is public (Score:4, Insightful)
When you share a conversation with Bard, the button literally says "Create public link", so what did Ghotra expect, a public link not to be public? And you, as an user, when click on "public" expect it to be private?
Re:Public is public (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't expect a 'public' link to be broadcasted to the entire world by Google yes. I would expect that for a stranger to enter the url would require them to have the link or guess a UUID.
Re:Public is public (Score:4, Informative)
What's not stated is that the link is itself being shared behind your back.
Caught? (Score:2)
That's like saying you caught a politician lying. That's his JOB. That's what's expected. If it was any other way, it would be worth a story.
Do not trust big tech firms (Score:2)
Do not trust big tech firms
if in doubt
Do not trust big tech firms
Do not trust big tech firms
Do not trust big tech firms
(On the whole trusting any big firm is probably also a mistake...)
From The X-Files... (Score:2)
"Trust no one."
Ghotra.sx (Score:1)
go ahead and blame a bot
Bug found, working on fix (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Slow news ...
When you create a link to a Google Doc or a Google Sheet, Google does not put the file in its search-results for other people to use.
When you create a link to Google Bard, it does. That didn't happen by accident. Google decided being clever (using your data to make other subscribers smart) was more important than whatever you told Bard. Maybe the problem is people happily telling someone else's machine, their dark secrets. Cue the FBI/NSA/CIA creating their own chat-bots, not for their dumb agents but
Re: Bug found, working on fix (Score:2)
Re: Bug found, working on fix (Score:2)
That's still quite a concerning oversight, then.