Whenever I search for information about something - especially about a news event - Google returns me a lot of results from Australian sites. Any foreign sites come further down the list, sometimes even on the second page of results. I've never really paid much attention to this behaviour, beyond some occasional mild frustration at not being able to find local sources.

However, this came to a head this week when I was searching for a local US-based news article about something I'd read in an Australian news site, so I could post that local US article here on Tildes (I always try to get as close to the source as possible). But, try as I might, I just could not find any good non-Australian articles about this news! It was almost like Google was deliberately blocking my attempts to read non-Australian sites. I mean, it's possible that this news wasn't reported outside Australia, but that's unlikely, seeing as it was Uber's announcement about trialling electric aircraft in Texas and Victoria. That had to get American coverage. But I struggled to find it in my searches.

I then noticed something I've never noticed before: at the bottom of my Google searches, there's a small line which tells me my current location. It's as specific as my local council area, not just my state or the country.

Is this location affecting what Google shows me in my searches? If so, how do I remove this restriction?

For context: I use Chrome, but I only sign in when I'm accessing a Google service (usually the Calendar). After I've finished with the service, I sign out. So Google isn't tracking me as a person, it's just tracking my browser's search activity.

EDIT: Thank you all. I've already set up DuckDuckGo as my default search engine, and am trying it out.

I received this email yesterday but haven't seen any blog posts or press releases about it yet:

Hello Administrator,

Since our Beta Program announcement last year, we’ve been testing an enterprise-ready version of Google Voice. Over the next seven days, Google Voice will become available as a core G Suite service for all eligible* G Suite customers (additional fees apply to this new, managed version of Google Voice). This email will help you understand the transition details but you can also refer to the Voice webpage for more information.

What's changing:

• Managed Google Voice is available in 3 tiers and will become a core G Suite service for your domain after subscribing to a service tier.
• Managed Voice accounts will be covered under your existing G Suite agreement and additional Google Voice service specific terms.
• Support for managed Voice accounts will be the same as other G Suite core services.

What's not changing:

• The Google Voice service will remain “on” by default.
• If users in your domain signed up for Voice prior to this launch, they will be able to maintain their legacy unmanaged Voice subscriptions without additional cost, and will remain subject to the Google Voice consumer terms of service. You can add a Voice subscription and upgrade these users to managed Voice users in your Admin console.
• Hangouts Meet (also a core G Suite service) is integrated with Google Voice, allowing meeting participants to dial in or be added by phone.

What do I need to do?

• If you did not participate in the Google Voice Beta Program and would like to use Google Voice for your organization, follow these steps to add a Voice subscription.

We're here to help

If you have additional questions or need technical assistance, please contact Google support. When you call or submit your support case, reference issue number ----------.

Sincerely,

The G Suite Team

* Google Voice is not yet available for G Suite for Government customers. Google Voice is available for purchase in select countries.

It looks like Google Voice is going to be sticking around for awhile. You can even use Polycom desk phones with it if you get the $20 tier.