• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
TechGoogle

Google ‘Silicon Valley’ for Fake News About the HBO Show

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 26, 2016, 3:12 PM ET
Cinefamily Presents Scene Screening And Q&A For HBO's "Silicon Valley" - Arrivals
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: Thomas Middleditch (L) and Martin Starr arrive at Cinefamily Presents Scene Screening And Q&A For HBO's "Silicon Valley" at Cinefamily on March 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images)Gabriel Olsen—Getty Images

Google is permitting the HBO show Silicon Valley to have a bit of fun on its search results page.

The search giant is letting the television show post fake news items there, blurring the lines between reality and parody. Three phony stories appear when users enter “Silicon Valley” into the company’s search engine.

The faux news makes reference to plot elements of the show, known for its mercilessly satirical take on the tech industry and startup culture. The third season of Silicon Valley premiered on Sunday night.

“Stanford Robotics Reports ‘Bam-Bot’ Damaged in Field Testing” shouts one bogus headline. “Are Hooli shares on a tear?” asks another, referring to the show’s fictional Internet giant stand-in for Google (GOOG). “Introducing Jack ‘Action Jack’ Barker!” proclaims a third, announcing a CEO shakeup at Pied Piper, the make-believe company at the heart of the show.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Even though Google is touting this alternate reality, the stories are clearly demarcated and set aside from Google’s actual news items. They appear under the header of “Silicon Valley,” indicating that they have been posted from an account administered by the show.

HBO Silicon Valley Google Fake News Results
Screenshot of Google search results page

Google unveiled this “posts” feature at the beginning of the year as an experimental tool to keep citizens informed during the presidential campaign season. The company declared it a way to “hear from candidates directly, right on Google.” Other TV shows have used the tool include Jimmy Kimmel Live and Game of Thrones.

For more on HBO, watch:

Though brands can make use of the “posts” feature, it is not a paid advertising format. “We’re continuing to experiment with the look and feel of this feature, including exploring other potential use cases,” a Google spokesperson told Fortune. Politicians, small businesses, musicians, and athletes have tried the tool out as well.

Google has a history of pulling pranks of its own—some more successful than others. On April Fools’ Day, the company celebrated by adding a “mic drop” feature to Gmail that sent out Minion GIFs and muted email threads. Many users were not amused.

Then again, at other times the company’s jokes have gone over well. When Google co-founder Larry Page unveiled Alphabet as the name of a newly created Google parent company last year, he embedded a link to “Hooli.xyz” in the announcement.

Hooligans.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

FJ Campbell, MD, is chief medical officer at Ardent Health.
CommentaryHealth
A doctor shortage is coming. AI could be the only realistic fix
By FJ CampbellMay 20, 2026
1 hour ago
Alex Israel crosses his arms
AITerm Sheet
How Metropolis built a $5 billion AI infrastructure company out of America’s parking problem
By Lily Mae LazarusMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai in Mountain View, California on May 19, 2026. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
At Google I/O 2026, it’s AI, AI, and more AI
By Andrew NuscaMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
Exclusive: Advocacy groups file complaint against Roblox, alleging its manipulative design puts kids at risk
CybersecurityRoblox
Exclusive: Advocacy groups file complaint against Roblox, alleging its manipulative design puts kids at risk
By Catherina GioinoMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
Grab bets on new delivery robots to fix Singapore’s ‘supply-constrained markets’ and solve the last-mile problem
AsiaRobots
Grab bets on new delivery robots to fix Singapore’s ‘supply-constrained markets’ and solve the last-mile problem
By Angelica AngMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
How the multibillion dollar AI data center boom has transformed CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate company
Real EstateData centers
How the multibillion dollar AI data center boom has transformed CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate company
By Sharon GoldmanMay 20, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
15 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
8 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 19, 2026
22 hours ago
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
Personal Finance
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
By Courtney Vinopal and HR BrewMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 18, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 18, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.