Marketplace Tech

Why are fake obituaries cluttering Google — and upsetting loved ones?


Listen Later

Fake obituaries have become an online trend. They exploit tragedy for profit and have raised concerns about the reliability of search engines. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali discussed the problem with reporter Mia Sato of The Verge. Her investigation uncovered a network of websites generating this content using search engine optimization, or SEO, tactics. Sato also covered the story of Brian Vastag, a journalist who experienced this abuse when he read his own fake obituary along with that of his ex-wife, who did actually pass away.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Marketplace TechBy Marketplace

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,256 ratings


More shows like Marketplace Tech

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,230 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,656 Listeners

Marketplace by Marketplace

Marketplace

8,790 Listeners

Marketplace Morning Report by Marketplace

Marketplace Morning Report

935 Listeners

Marketplace All-in-One by Marketplace

Marketplace All-in-One

1,386 Listeners

WSJ Tech News Briefing by The Wall Street Journal

WSJ Tech News Briefing

1,652 Listeners

The Uncertain Hour by Marketplace

The Uncertain Hour

2,177 Listeners

Make Me Smart by Marketplace

Make Me Smart

5,486 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,450 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,968 Listeners

The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

The Indicator from Planet Money

9,560 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,331 Listeners

This Is Uncomfortable by Marketplace

This Is Uncomfortable

3,619 Listeners

The Journal. by The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

The Journal.

6,100 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,584 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

6,461 Listeners

Marketplace Minute by Marketplace

Marketplace Minute

163 Listeners

Million Bazillion by Marketplace

Million Bazillion

2,991 Listeners

The Big Take by Bloomberg

The Big Take

154 Listeners

How We Survive by Marketplace

How We Survive

1,384 Listeners

Financially Inclined by Marketplace

Financially Inclined

91 Listeners