Google search is definitely going to shit and it sucks that your coworker and his wife had to go through that, but honestly my first reaction to the story was "why the hell has nobody set this woman up with an ad blocker?"
Not only Google search, but also other Google products like Google Maps!
Today while I was driving to a time-sensitive appointment the app all of a sudden changed it's estimate to one that would be 5 minutes late, asking me to do a dangerous u-turn. I'm glad I chose to ignore it because, after stopping at a light and launching Apple Maps, I was able to make it on time without that dangerous u-turn route it was suggesting.
I seriously doubt a Google Maps real-time route change suggestion could be in response to spam or advertisers. More just a legitimate intent to react to changing traffic speed patterns/ accident reports/ closures/ roadworks. It does make mistakes though, in recent years more than it used to. Maybe it is overdoing trying to be hyperlocal.
I mean it's not like Google Maps is inventing fake accident reports to persuade people to change their route to drive past some showroom or suggestive-sell then on something... (!!)
The entire WWW is dangerous without adblocks unless you're a real web dev or adtech expert. Just install uBlock Origin to every browsers on any computer you might be later compelled to provide assistance for so long it won't be grossly irresponsible to do so(like on random stranger's computers).
That phishing ad might have displayed correct URL. Apparently there are ways to redirect just the bots to real sites so the links check out whilist sending humans to fakes.
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[ 6.7 ms ] story [ 28.7 ms ] threadToday while I was driving to a time-sensitive appointment the app all of a sudden changed it's estimate to one that would be 5 minutes late, asking me to do a dangerous u-turn. I'm glad I chose to ignore it because, after stopping at a light and launching Apple Maps, I was able to make it on time without that dangerous u-turn route it was suggesting.
I mean it's not like Google Maps is inventing fake accident reports to persuade people to change their route to drive past some showroom or suggestive-sell then on something... (!!)
That phishing ad might have displayed correct URL. Apparently there are ways to redirect just the bots to real sites so the links check out whilist sending humans to fakes.