I think search engines are very well positioned to massively help IPv6 addoption. For example, they could limit the number of search hits to an IPv4 only site.

I think search engines are very well positioned to massively help IPv6 addoption. For example, they could limit the number of search hits to an IPv4 only site. A mom an pop page without IPv6 is fine, a top 1000 site is inexcusable in 2018 and contributing to the vicious circle. On the user facing side, they could inform consumers when they are connecting from IPv4 only networks, to realy drive home the point that they are receiving a sub-par service. It might not be true today, but in the long run it's true for the internet as a whole, stuck in IPv4. And if people perceive IPv6 as desirable, they will prefer it given the choice even if they don't understand exactly what it is, just like they prefer a 4G service to a 3G one. What incentive would Google and Microsoft have to do this? IPv4 exhaustion costs them too, in routing performance and manpower to manage a scarce resource. Also, reliable end to end connectivity is an enabler for the type of technologies they push, limiting telco control over their users. Massive growth markets are trumped by lack of IP space, the whole of Afrinic only has a few /8. That means African carriers will do massive NAT.