Google dropped its shiny new “Year in Search” video for 2025 on Monday, and wah, the internet reaction ah… not very glam. Usually, this annual video is a crowd-pleaser. You know the drill: emotional moments, big world events, pop culture highs, and that one clip that makes everyone suddenly “have dust in their eyes.”
But this year?
Aiyo. Different story. And not in a good way.
What Google Did Show
As always, the video opened with its usual montage of pop culture favourites — Lady Gaga here, Lububus there, all the feel-good vibes. Then, halfway through, the video suddenly swerved into what looked like… an ad for AI. Not surprising, since tech companies now treat AI like the golden child who can do no wrong.
We also got dramatic clips from the Southern California wildfires, Trump shaking hands with first responders during the Central Texas floods, and Erika Kirk talking about “courage” and “family” during the service for her late husband, Charlie Kirk.
So yes, the video packed a punch. Just… maybe not the right one.
What Everyone Noticed Was Missing
And this is where internet users started flipping tables.
Many YouTubers and commenters pointed out that the video conveniently skipped:
- The war in Ukraine
- The war in Gaza
- The conflict in Sudan
- Trump’s immigration crackdown
- The massive “No Kings” protests
- Basically… a whole chunk of global reality
One user summed it up beautifully with peak internet energy:
“Charlie Kirk in there but nothing about Gaza bro are we fr 😭😭”
The shade is real.
Another YouTuber, @megbishop_, called the video “embarrassing” and accused Google of purposely skipping top searches just to avoid controversy. Honestly, why Google act like we all forgot what we searched this year? Our search history is chaotic but not that chaotic lah.
Why People Are Annoyed
Look, year-end recaps are supposed to reflect what mattered to people. The joys and the difficult stuff. The wins and the heartbreak. It’s like curating a photo album for the whole planet — you can’t just crop out everyone you don’t like.
This year’s version feels a bit like your friend who posts a super-filtered IG story of their “amazing year” but conveniently leaves out the drama, the breakups, and the chaos. Nice try, but everybody knows.
The internet isn’t asking for Google to become a news agency. But if you’re calling it a “Year in Search,” then at least acknowledge what people actually searched lah.
Honestly, the video feels like Google trying to maintain “good vibes only” while sweeping the messy stuff under the carpet. But come on, 2025 wasn’t exactly a soft, gentle year. The world was burning — literally and figuratively.
People didn’t want a PR gloss. They wanted honesty.
Even a short nod to the heavy topics would have shown respect to the people affected.
Also, when a recap video looks more like a marketing push for AI than a reflection of human reality… ya, people will call it out. And they did. Loudly.
To be fair, it’s tough for a huge company like Google. Anything they include or exclude will spark debate. But this year just feels extra disconnected, like someone clicked “mute” on the world and “boost” on the brand campaign.
The 2025 “Year in Search” video isn’t terrible. It’s just… incomplete. And people don’t like their lived experiences being edited out. Understandable lah.
Will Google tweak things next year? Hard to say. But one thing’s for sure — the internet never misses a beat, and they definitely didn’t miss this one.
