Paid healthcare.gov site advertisement (sometimes) when googling obamacare

[boomerang]

HHS is Paying Google with Taxpayer Money to Alter 'Obamacare' Search Results

The brazenness of the Obama administration never ceases to amaze. Try typing "Obamacare" into Google, and you'll find that the first entry is now the Obama administration's www.healthcare.gov. If you don't particularly like that result, you'll probably hate the fact that you're paying for it.

You'll get the same paid-for result if you type in "Obamacare facts," "Obamacare summary," "Obamacare info," "Obamacare overview," "Obamacare questions," "Obamacare explanation," "Obamacare basics," "Obamacare pros and cons," "Obamacare and elderly," and even "Obamacare and abortion." For each of these search terms, and many others, the Obama administration's site comes up first, as a paid entry. But it doesn’t come up if you type in "ObamaCare repeal."

Politico's Ben Smith, in a post entitled "HHS Buys 'ObamaCare,'" quotes an official from Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who confirms that this clear attempt to influence what Americans read about Obamacare does, indeed, represent your tax dollars at work: "'We are using a bunch of search term to help point people to HealthCare.gov. [It's] [p]art of our online efforts to help get accurate information to people about the new law (i.e. [we] also use Facebook, Twitter, blocs and webcasts),' an HHS official confirmed by e-mail."

To think some bristle when our current leaders are referred to as a "regime". Controlling information - excellent! I'm surprised Google charged them. I'd have thought they'd do it for free.

Thread title edited again for accuracy. -Admin DrPizza

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Pure blasphemy to think that people might want to go to the official site for “Obamacare” when looking for information on "Obamacare". I'm sure Fox news would have much more accurate "no-spin" information.

What’s next, searching for Ford might provide links to Ford.com.

 

[boomerang]

Pure blasphemy to think that people might want to go to the official site for “Obamacare” when looking for information on "Obamacare". I'm sure Fox news would have much more accurate "no-spin" information.

What’s next, searching for Ford might provide links to Ford.com.

So this is what the people want!?!?!

Got it comrade!

 

[rudder]

Pure blasphemy to think that people might want to go to the official site for “Obamacare” when looking for information on "Obamacare". I'm sure Fox news would have much more accurate "no-spin" information.

What’s next, searching for Ford might provide links to Ford.com.

Ford is a private company. They earn the money and they can spend it as they see fit. And don't be one of those... I am with the Government and I am here to help you kind of people. I would rather rely on a third party site for the real details rather than white house propaganda.... because if you have not noticed yet, this administration is hardly transparent and truthful.

 

[DesiPower]

Keep in mind its a blog and not a "news article" (if it makes any difference, IMO, it doesn't)

Pure blasphemy to think that people might want to go to the official site for “Obamacare” when looking for information on "Obamacare". I'm sure Fox news would have much more accurate "no-spin" information.

What’s next, searching for Ford might provide links to Ford.com.

So much fail! You don't even realize what the real issue is. Ford is not run buy taxpayers, the concept of Obamacare is. Should govt use taxpayer dollars to promote a govt program and inform people about it? Sure, why not, the fact that there is a website out there also involves taxpayers dollars for designing and hosting the website. So the OP and weeklystandard are epic fail too. But sir, your argument is also a PHAIL

 

[boomerang]

Keep in mind its a blog and not a "news article" (if it makes any difference, IMO, it doesn't)



So much fail! You don't even realize what the real issue is. Ford is not run buy taxpayers, the concept of Obamacare is. Should govt use taxpayer dollars to promote a govt program and inform people about it? Sure, why not, the fact that there is a website out there also involves taxpayers dollars for designing and hosting the website. So the OP and weeklystandard are epic fail too. But sir, your argument is also a PHAIL

It's whooshing right over your head bucko. Although my guess is you're all for government controlling what the people see and how they see it.

Oh hell, I'll hold your hand. ObamaCare is a derogatory term used by people who understand the many negative and costly consequences of this bill. This is the governments attempt to restrict what people see when they type the term "Obamacare" into Google. They don't want the people to see dissension and anger in regards to the bill. They want them to see the government doublespeak of rainbows and smiling unicorns.

It's ludicrous because besides being a year too late, the Republican controlled House has already pledged to dismantle it to whatever degree they can accomplish. Sit down now because there are a lot of Democrats on board too.

The heart of the article and why I posted it is an attempt to make the brain dead think of the consequences of our government controlling what information we have access to. While I get the impression you think it's a good thing, I think it's something that should be nipped in the bud.

I'm very happy to form my own opinions without the government telling me what they should be.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

The Ministry of Truth is alive and well.

 

[Linflas]

Pure blasphemy to think that people might want to go to the official site for “Obamacare” when looking for information on "Obamacare". I'm sure Fox news would have much more accurate "no-spin" information.

What’s next, searching for Ford might provide links to Ford.com.

So would you have responded the same way if the story was "Bush administration pays Google to direct searches regarding Iraq War" to official DoD sites?

 

[Red Dawn]

And this'll upset anybody else other than the avid Obama hater?

 

[IBMer]

All this outage might be true, if the only search return you got from Obamacare was that site...

 

[DesiPower]

It's whooshing right over your head bucko. Although my guess is you're all for government controlling what the people see and how they see it.

Oh hell, I'll hold your hand. ObamaCare is a derogatory term used by people who understand the many negative and costly consequences of this bill. This is the governments attempt to restrict what people see when they type the term "Obamacare" into Google. They don't want the people to see dissension and anger in regards to the bill. They want them to see the government doublespeak of rainbows and smiling unicorns.

It's ludicrous because besides being a year too late, the Republican controlled House has already pledged to dismantle it to whatever degree they can accomplish. Sit down now because there are a lot of Democrats on board too.

The heart of the article and why I posted it is an attempt to make the brain dead think of the consequences of our government controlling what information we have access to. While I get the impression you think it's a good thing, I think it's something that should be nipped in the bud.

I'm very happy to form my own opinions without the government telling me what they should be.

OK, put our cup of tea down for a minute and think about it what what just posted. Govt did not censor any information nor did it manipulate search result. Do a Google search yourself and see what comes up first. Its Wikipedia and www.obamacaretruth.org and other similar sites. What you see on the top of the page is a "sponsored ad/search result" anyone who used Google knows that its a paid for advertisement and never clicks on it.

You outrage about right having exclusive rights over the term "obamacare" is also ridiculous, every one everywhere refers to it as obamacare now, some people even think that it IS the official name.

 

[soccerballtux]

Pure blasphemy to think that people might want to go to the official site for “Obamacare” when looking for information on "Obamacare". I'm sure Fox news would have much more accurate "no-spin" information.

What’s next, searching for Ford might provide links to Ford.com.

This is nothing but a government handout to big business and big internet. If enough people want to go there, google's search algorithm will prioritize it anyways.

 

[jackschmittusa]

boomerang

"government controlling what the people see and how they see it"

You're joking right?

People that can't understand a Google search result probably need help finding a link anyway. lol

Do you consider the gov link to be less accurate than other sites?

Do you think that the gov link will likely have the answers people are searching for?

Do you think the gov is unaware of all of the BS included in some other sites and concluded that people are likely seeking real information?

Not only has the gov done nothing morally, ethically, or legally wrong in doing this, making it easy to find good information about what the government is doing is a public service.

You've wasted a good box of outrage for naught.

 

[Vette73]

And this'll upset anybody else other than the avid Obama hater?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

So would you have responded the same way if the story was "Bush administration pays Google to direct searches regarding Iraq War" to official DoD sites?

What DoD sites? Are you just making sh!t up?

Here are some equivilent examples are the big F'ing conspiracy:
Derrr
Ummm
Nerrp
Idiots
OK, this was #2 for some reason

Get it? Oh my god, it's a big governemnt conspiracy to take over the world! occam's razor ... maybe it actually makes sense to healthcare.gov if you want to read about gov't related halthcare. Also known as obamacare?

 

[matt0611]

Sucks that google does stuff like this.

 

[Vic Vega]

Pure blasphemy to think that people might want to go to the official site for “Obamacare” when looking for information on "Obamacare". I'm sure Fox news would have much more accurate "no-spin" information.

What’s next, searching for Ford might provide links to Ford.com.

LOL, partisan hack.

 

[IBMer]

Sucks that google does stuff like this.

You obviously didn't actually search for it.

 

[matt0611]

You obviously didn't actually search for it.

Huh? Yes I did...what are you talking about?

 

[Vette73]

Huh? Yes I did...what are you talking about?

The fact that www.healthcare.gov was not even on the first page of search results was maybe his point.

The story says if you type in obamacare into google it comes back with healthcare.gov. Fact is, it does not.

There is a AD above the search, but no change to the search results.

i.e. more faux outrage from right wingers.

 

[matt0611]

The fact that www.healthcare.gov was not even on the first page of search results was maybe his point.

The story says if you type in obamacare into google it comes back with healthcare.gov. Fact is, it does not.

There is a AD above the search, but no change to the search results.

i.e. more faux outrage from right wingers.

I thought this article was about the ad?

 

[Vette73]

I thought this article was about the ad?

This is their headline, not the OPs typing.

"HHS is Paying Google with Taxpayer Money to Alter 'Obamacare' Search Results"

That is false. The search results have not changed at all.

 

[bfdd]

substitute Obama for Bush and it looks like the last 10 years.

 

[matt0611]

This is their headline, not the OPs typing.

"HHS is Paying Google with Taxpayer Money to Alter 'Obamacare' Search Results"

That is false. The search results have not changed at all.

Ah, gotcha.

substitute Obama for Bush and it looks like the last 10 years.

Lol thats exactly what I was thinking when I read that. About ever other post on this forum was people bitching about Bush from 2001-2008.

 

[JD50]

This is their headline, not the OPs typing.

"HHS is Paying Google with Taxpayer Money to Alter 'Obamacare' Search Results"

That is false. The search results have not changed at all.

Ok so they aren't paying google then?