Google's Year-End Video Faces Backlash Over Omissions

Google’s 2025 Year in Search Video Sparks Outrage

Google recently released its annual “Year in Search” video for 2025, but the content has sparked significant backlash from internet users. The video, which is typically a retrospective of major events and cultural moments, has faced criticism for what some see as a biased or incomplete portrayal of the year's most notable happenings.

The traditional format of the video includes clips of trending topics, major events, and pop culture highlights. In previous years, it has featured coverage of the Black Lives Matter protests, the removal of Confederate symbols, and the Women’s March. However, this year’s version took a different approach, emphasizing how people "reimagined their worlds" and incorporating elements of artificial intelligence into the narrative.

The 2025 video included clips ranging from Lady Gaga to Lububus, before shifting focus to AI advancements. It also featured footage from the Southern California wildfires, a scene of Trump shaking hands with first responders after the Central Texas floods, and Erika Kirk’s speech at the memorial service for her late husband, Charlie Kirk, a controversial podcaster.

Despite these inclusions, many users felt that the video missed key global and national events. Critics pointed out the absence of coverage on the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, as well as Trump’s immigration policies and the No Kings protests against the president. One user expressed frustration, writing: “Charlie Kirk in there but nothing about Gaza bro are we fr 😭😭.”

Another YouTuber, @megbishop_, criticized Google’s approach, calling it “embarrassing” and accusing the company of avoiding controversy by omitting several top searches. The video has also drawn ire from users on platforms like X, Bluesky, and Threads, who labeled it as propaganda.

One user wrote: “That ’2025 — Year in Search’ video by Google is pure AmeriKKKan propaganda. I wasted my time and data, and I want it back.” Another commented: “This amazing short feature from Google is what life would be like if you simply accepted the **** show that is the world today and diverted all of your attention to the propaganda of one of the world’s most devious, harmful, and evil corporations.”

Several users highlighted specific omissions from the video, including topics such as AIPAC, ICE, CBP, the Gulf of Mexico, tariffs, inflation, Riyadh, Rapture TikTok, Venezuela, the Sydney Sweeney ad, and the Epstein Files. These were described as highly searched and viral topics that were inexplicably left out.

Other criticisms focused on the video’s transition from K-pop Demon Hunters to what some perceived as MAGA (Make America Great Again) propaganda. One user noted that the video featured a tribute to Charlie Kirk, suggesting that the content was skewed toward certain political viewpoints.

The backlash has led to calls for greater transparency and accountability from Google. While the company has not yet responded to these criticisms, the controversy surrounding the 2025 video underscores the growing concern over how tech giants curate and present information to the public.

As users continue to voice their discontent, the debate over the role of search engines in shaping public perception remains a pressing issue. Whether this will lead to changes in how such videos are produced remains to be seen.