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Why you should never Google Billie Eilish or Emilia Clarke

Pictured: Billie Eilish performs at Glastonbury, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarks poses on the red carpet. Images: Getty
Billie Eilish and Emilia Clarke have been named two of the worst celebrities to Google. Images: Getty

When hit HBO series Game of Thrones wrapped up in May this year, Google searches for Emilia Clarke who played Daenerys jumped to record heights as fans debated the controversial finale.

And singer Billie Eilish has driven a monstrous amount of searches throughout the year as she took a stand against climate change, sold out arenas and recalled her own dating disasters.

But if you were one of the millions of curious Australians seeking more information on these celebrities, bad news: these two stars are among the most dangerous celebrities for malware.

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New research from McAfee has revealed the list of the most dangerous celebrities to search for online, with John Oliver taking out the unwanted number one title, followed by Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, James Corden and Calvin Harris.

Billie Eilish is one of the most-searched celebrities, coming in at number seven, with Emilia Clarke coming in at number nine.

John Oliver the worst celebrity to Google search

If you want to avoid malware, be careful when Googling these celebrities. Image: McAfee
If you want to avoid malware, be careful when Googling these celebrities. Image: McAfee

It’s no surprise that there are four talk show hosts on the list (Oliver, Kimmel, Corden and Fallon), McAfee said.

Those four celebrities are strongly associated with searches including “torrent”, meaning people may be seeking out “free” streaming options to view those popular programs.

Pictured: John Oliver at the Emmys. Image: Getty
John Oliver may have won several Emmys awards, but people need to stop trying to find free streams of his show. Image: Getty

And where there are “free” streams, there’s also a much higher risk of malware and hacks.

The search terms monitored by McAfee for celebrity mentions receiving dangerous results were:

  • Torrent

  • Fix gamble

  • Free mp3

  • Nudes

  • Pirated download

  • Sledging

  • Streaming

“Consumers may not be fully aware that the searches they do on the internet can expose them to risk. With streaming at an all-time high in Australia, accessing our favourite shows, movies or news about our favourite celebrities has never been so easy,” said Alex Merton-McCann, consumer online safety expert and Cybermum at McAfee.

“As a result, many consumers will drop their guard in favour of speed or convenience, and quickly enter their personal details to gain access to a site without thinking about the consequences.”

She said criminals will use deceptive websites to manoeuvre unsuspecting victims into giving away their details or control of their devices.

“In a world where everything is connected, everywhere, it’s important that consumers protect their digital lives and always think twice before they click to ensure they are surfing safe digital content.”

Australian celebrities also bait as Kardashians fall

Liam Hemsworth was the most dangerous Australian celebrity, with Rose Byrne, Cate Blanchett and Kylie Minogue also popular bait.

But those searching for information on the Kardashian clan will have a safer time, with Kim Kardashian falling 88 places to 92 this year, with Kris Jenner falling from 63 to 107.

Kylie Jenner is the most dangerous reality television star in 21st place.

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