Google clarifies betting market results in news app were error
What's the story
Google News recently displayed betting market results from Polymarket, a platform for predicting the outcome of future events. The unexpected appearance of these results led to speculation that Google might be testing Polymarket as part of a potential integration with the service. However, the tech giant has now confirmed that this was an error and not part of any planned feature.
Official statement
Strict policies for content inclusion
Ned Adriance, a spokesperson for Google, clarified the situation to The Verge. He said, "Google News is designed to show sources that create content about current issues, events, and important topics." He further explained that there are strict policies for sites to be eligible for inclusion in Google News. "This site briefly appeared in Google News in error," he added, referring to Polymarket's unexpected presence.
Market connection
Questions raised about Polymarket's presence in Google News
The Polymarket bets that appeared in Google News were directly linked to specific news events. For example, a search on the Strait of Hormuz revealed a Polymarket bet on the number of ships that would be allowed to pass through it. This raised questions about how exactly Polymarket content made its way into Google News results and when this started happening.
Partnership history
Google has integrated data into Google Finance
Google has already teamed up with both Kalshi and Polymarket to integrate their data into Google Finance. However, it is still unclear if this partnership has anything to do with the appearance of Polymarket in Google News results. The tech giant is yet to provide further clarification on the matter.