Google has been granted a new patent that could track a users progress on different shows, books and movies and will issue alerts on posts on social networking sites that might contain spoilers.
The patent would automatically hide content and give users a spoiler alert if they haven't reached that particular episode or chapter. It doesn't completely obliterate the post but instead just blurs the content and gives a pop-up warning. For instance, instead of viewing "OMG King Kong dies at the end?!" from a friends post, you will see "This message may contain spoilers for 'King Kong' — do you want to read it?"
Users would also be able to flag their own posts if they have spoilers in it. The feature if implemented would be a welcome addition to the web. However, it remains unclear how Google would integrate this system with other popular social media sites like Facebook or Twitter which it does not own.
E-readers like Amazon's Kindle save your progress to sync with other devices, and Netflix knows till where you have watched a movie or show but tracking your and your friends progress online on every show, movie or book might be a step too far for some.
Google has not clarified whether this will materialize into an actual service or not. A Google representative told Quartz that some ideas “mature into real products or services, some don’t.” So we will just have to wait and watch.
What do you think of Google's new patent? Do you think it will be an invasion of your privacy or is it just the app you were waiting for to prevent spoiler? Share your views in the comments section below.
Source: Quartz