Google have recently announced that users will soon be able to read news in other languages by way of its translation service. This is another such feature designed to give people even more power and knowledge when it comes to content they read and what they can understand.
When does it start?
The announcement states that this will begin to roll out at the start of 2023 and gives the example of an English user or speaking person wanting to view Spanish speaking articles in places such as Mexico.
What will be the benefit of this?
Google gives the example that if an event such as a natural disaster happens, readers and searches will be able to learn more about it from people who are actually local and on the ground. It is thought that often this is the most authentic and trustworthy source of information, but much of the time, the problem is that this will only be in the local language and only a small amount of people will be able to benefit from reading it. With this new translation service, that will completely change, opening up news, features, and discussion to more and more people.
Will there be a phased introduction like is normally the case with something new?
Probably yes. Google aims to begin with translation of limited languages into English at first. These include, French, Spanish and German. It is thought that the amount of languages will increase as time goes by. This feature is planned to be available on both desktop and mobile, so however you like to browse should mean that you have equal opportunities in accessing this.
Hasn’t Google dabbled with translation before?
Yes and translation isn’t something that is completely new for Google. It was first introduced around 3 years ago, where content could be displayed in two separate languages when using the Google News app feed. This was quite ‘small scale’ however, and the proposed change now will be much bigger and have a greater impact. Generally speaking, translation is something that Google hasn’t had major influence on in the past, and has largely left it to individuals to translate items via other platforms and mediums should they be interested.
What will the general and long-term effect be?
The internet is a vast place full of information – sometimes good sometimes not so good. If we only speak one language, we only have access to a small percentage of the total available content that is out there. If this can be readily translated, all of a sudden, a whole new world of information can potentially open up. Yes, some of this will be poor value just as in your own native language, but overall this could be a very useful feature.
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