Google, the most popular search engine dominating 90% of the search market, has removed standard references for several holidays and cultural celebrations from its calendar. Many Google Calendar users noticed the change after realizing references to Black History Month, Pride Month and other observances were no longer present on their calendars.
In light of user observations, Google said these changes were made last year. For several years, the popular search engine would manually add a wide range of cultural events across many countries. This was done alongside the additions of public holidays and other national observances from timeanddate.com. As time went on, Google received feedback noting they had missed incorporating some cultural events.
Google said, “It just wasn’t feasible to put hundreds of moments in everyone’s calendars — so in mid-2024, we made the decision to simplify,” which promoted them only to include public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com.
Google announced that it will continue to celebrate and promote cultural moments through its company and products. Although Google is not defaulting these observances and celebrations in its calendar, a spokesperson stated that users can customize their settings to show or hide them.
Reactions to Google’s calendar decisions have been mixed.
“Big companies like Google have a platform, and they should be using it to make the world a better place,” Shelby Ackermann, a sophomore English major, said.
“I like the changes because it lets people decide,” Kaitlin Pena, a junior child development and religion double major, said.
Nevertheless, this change is just one of many recent developments keeping Google in the news. In addition to the calendar updates, the tech giant faced scrutiny last year when the Justice Department, under President Joe Biden’s administration, sued Google for antitrust violations. Many government officials felt the company was a monopoly and called for competition to be restored to other internet search engines. While the court ruled against Google, it is unclear what the Justice Department will do under President Trump’s administration.
More recently, the company changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Google Maps. This change follows President Trump’s executive order, which officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico. This change has received backlash from Mexican officials, calling for the tech company to change the name back, according to The Associated Press.
“These changes can lead to people believing really anything, especially when it comes to hateful rhetoric towards people they already dislike,” Gregorio Gray, a junior secondary education major, said.
Jordyn Harper, a senior marketing major, said, “Google’s actions show how volatile everything is and how large corporations can get swept into politics.”
Amid these updates, some users appreciate Google’s shift toward customization, while others argue the company should take a more active role in recognizing cultural moments. One thing remains certain: Google’s influence on how information is presented and accessed will keep it at the center of public attention.