Google Is Not The Enemy

I got a gmail invitation about a decade ago. I had to get an invitation, because gmail wasn't open to the public yet. It was a long time ago. Google was still a new company, they had a shiny ethical statement and it wasn't thought of as a bad guy yet. Some people think Google is bad now, and some people want you to delete your Google data and jump ship before the policy unification goes into effect next month.

Seriously, get over it.

I made a conscious decision that all of this data was free and publicly available over a decade ago. Google is no better and no worse than any other internet search provider. I might venture a guess that all of this righteous indignation is generally a slowly dawning realization of what I surmised in 2001.

Nobody reads the Privacy policies, the EULAs, or the 'fine print' as it were anyway. Basically this discussion is about economics. If you aren't paying money for it then you are the product.

For decades we got used to 'free' radio and television. This stuff was free because we listened to soap and beer commercials. Content has never been free, we just didn't think we were paying, or realize we were paying. If you were paying Google for search and services with real money from your pockets I might understand your indignation. As it is today you just aren't paying attention to some basic facts.

Everyone is collecting this data and using it. Google is being honest enough to tell you. Facebook isn't any better. Neither is Yahoo, and neither is anyone else. They are all monetized by your eyeballs, your habits, and your searches. Facebook is worth a hundred BILLION dollars. This worth is all about your data.

One more thing, the government is collecting all of this data as well. Hundreds of political groups too. The government made it legal, and you can't stop them. Damn near every government is collecting all of this data and you can't stop them; not now and not ever.

Your privacy is, at best, the childish illusion of a buggy whip or a model T. They are cute, and quirky, but we are never going back to them.

You are the product. You have a cell phone, a computer, a tablet, and a television. Everything you do and every piece of data you generate is being sold right now. By your providers, your services, your companies, and your government. Choosing one company is no better or worse than choosing another. Google isn't your friend, but they aren't your enemy either.

So get over it.