Google and Twitter clash over search results

Twitter has clashed publicly with Google over changes to the dominant web search engine that promote Google+, its own social network.

Announced on Tuesday, Google's “Your World” update means users will see more links to Google+ when they search the web, including in part of the results page usually set aside for advertising.

It is the latest example of Google promoting its secondary services via search, a practice currently under investigation by European competition authorities for alleged monopoly abuses.

“You can find relevant Google+ posts from friends talking about an amazing trip they just took, whether they’ve shared privately with you or publicly,” Google said in a blog post.

"Starting today, if you search for a topic like [music] or [baseball], you might see prominent people who frequently discuss this topic on Google+ appearing on the right-hand side of the results page."

The move angered Twitter. Its most senior lawyer, Alex Macgillivray, branded Tuesday a “bad day for the internet” and accused Google of “warping” search.