Find out how a prankster used Wikipedia to fool Google into “killing” Conor McGregor!
Google Fooled Into “Killing” Conor McGregor!
On August 5, 2022, Google was fooled into “killing” Irish mixed martial artist, Conor McGregor.
Many people started posting screenshots of Google Search showing that Conor McGregor died on August 4, 2022.
But the truth was – Conor McGregor is very much still alive. In fact, he posted photos he took with Arnold Schwarzenegger a day after he purportedly died…
I’ll be back!
For the sake of humankind!
I must return! 🦸♂️
Happy birthday my man, @Schwarzenegger! Hope you and H are proud of my recovery / work and my latest move on the board.
Fun times ahead, bring it 🦿❤️ pic.twitter.com/v7z2Fppn9K— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 4, 2022
And a day later – a photo of himself relaxing in Ralph Lauren tights by the sea on August 6, 2022.
❤️ @RalphLauren pic.twitter.com/oEXGipPXLQ
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 5, 2022
Despite those social media posts, people were still confused, asking why is Google showing that Conor McGregor died on August 4, 2022.
why does it say conor mcgregor is dead if you google it?
Wtf is this? Searched Conor dead and this is what came up? @TheNotoriousMMA
you good champ? Google saying you’re dead
Are we not gonna talk about this how he is allegedly dead 🤷🏼♀️@TheNotoriousMMA
How Wikipedia Was Used To “Kill” Conor McGregor!
This Google search debacle was traced to a prankster who edited the Spanish Wikipedia article about Conor McGregor, to include a date of death.
Due to the importance Google Search gives information on Wikipedia, and how Knowledge Graph pulls from Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, the false date of death was given undue prominence.
Even after the fake date of death was removed from Wikipedia, it remained cached in the Google search results, prolonging the confusion.
This was what a spokesperson for Wikimedia Foundation explained :
It looks like the Spanish Wikipedia article about Conor McGregor was vandalized yesterday to include a date of death and has since been resolved.
Given the way Knowledge Graph results pull from Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, this can (in rare instances) result in some vandalism being cached in search results, sometimes even after it’s already been addressed on Wikipedia.
It appears that the issue has also been addressed in search results.
This death hoax highlights the dangers of open databases like Wikipedia, and the importance Google Search gives its information.
This makes us wonder – what other Wikipedia entries have been faked / vandalised without admins realising it, that are reflected in Google Search results.
Perhaps Google needs to tune down its reliance on Wikipedia entries…
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