After much online discussion about the recent viral TikTok revealing a “first search award” on Google, the organization has officially commented on the situation, dismissing the idea that such a trophy exists.
The initial TikTok in question was first posted on January 19, 2023. In the video, TikTok user Legbootlegit can be seen scrolling through Google. The video then showed the user typing into Google, “how to stop hyperactivity and excessive bullshit in caffeinated pigeons.”
After doing so, a notice appears on the screen informing them that they are the first Google users to search for that exact term. The top of the search results displays the message “Congratulations! You were the first to search for this phrase.”
The article continues after the announcement.
As of this writing, the viral video has reached over 2.6 million views and has nearly 2,000 comments attached. Many of which include TikTok users debating the legitimacy of the video and the award in question.
The video has since sparked a huge debate online about whether or not an actual prize is awarded to people for searching for a unique phrase on Google. With many others online recording their attempts to unlock the first quest achievement by entering a lot of random and uncommon things into the search engine.
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Now, a week after the video was first posted, Google has weighed in on the claims that this prize exists. Colette Garcia, communications manager for Google Search, told Newsweek that “this award doesn’t currently exist. In fact, 15 percent of the searches we see every day are new.”
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Sorry to everyone who thought the notification was real. However, Garcia’s wording of the award as something that “doesn’t currently exist” leaves the door open for it to become a feature at some point in the future. Time will tell if a system that TikTok theorized ever becomes a staple of Google’s search engine.
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