It was a bit unclear from the initial reporting what Google had in mind. But given time to reflect, I think the changes were made so that Google can focus bette

It was a bit unclear from the initial reporting what Google had in mind. But given time to reflect, I think the changes were made so that Google can focus better on giving users what they want, pornographic or otherwise. Same as with any other query, Google will present what it thinks you're looking for. Arguably, the default results are now more explicit, since you are allowed to stumble across porn if your query is suggestive enough. (After the warning you get the first time this occurs, that is.) I remain a little concerned about whether Google will become more conservative in their results, now that they're forced to judge user intent by default. The filtering of (most of) the obvious single-word pornographic triggers is one example of how the lack of a explicit SafeSearch-Off mode changes the user experience. The internet outcry so far focuses on how the results are less explicit, which to me is a good sign; I'll worry more if now or in the future mainstream channels start to highlight how you might theoretically stumble across porn by default now (after all, nobody reads popups, right?).