?tl= parameter) are taking over Reddit citations on Google’s AI surfaces in non-English markets. Peec analyzed 64.77 million Reddit citations across 20 countries and four engines, March 1–June 10, 2026 (full study); 3.7 million citations (5.71%) carried ?tl=.
- Google cites translations at industrial scale. Google AI Overview served translated Reddit in 52% of its German Reddit citations, over 70% in Sweden and Norway; Google AI Mode hit 72% in Spain in early June 2026. Across non-English markets both Google products run 40–73%.
- ChatGPT went the other way. Its translated share dropped from 6.14% (April 2026) to 0.66% (May) and 0.30% (early June) — consistent across countries (Germany 18.06%→1.54%). Something changed on OpenAI’s side around late April/early May 2026.
- Gemini barely touches translations (~1%); Perplexity is a structural zero — never a single
?tl=citation in the period. - The split is clean: English-speaking markets (US, UK, AU, IN) under 1%; non-English markets 24–42% of Reddit citations.
- In Germany the translated citations sit in commercial categories — fashion, tech hardware, audio, gaming, automotive, SaaS — and single threads can collect five-figure citation counts.