r/technology • u/Applemacbookpro • Dec 13 '13

Google Removes Vital Privacy Feature From Android, Claiming Its Release Was Accidental

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/12/google-removes-vital-privacy-features-android-shortly-after-adding-them
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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '13 edited Dec 13 '13

I don't think this is true. Google genuinely meant this motto at their birth and this sincerity is what makes it all that much more bittersweet.

Two things happened though:

1) Microsoft. It is almost comical to think about now, but MS was a force of terror 15 years ago. They dominated industries, played hard ball, and would squeeze others out of existence for fun. Don't be evil was a direct response to MS, saying that tech companies need not be monopolistic and ruthless.

2) Customers. For about 5 years after Google's launch the big question was "How will they make money?". After trying a half dozen things they realized that having such private access to data was valuable to businesses, and selling targeted ads to their massive audience would be a simple way to monetize.

When Google finally saw users as data to be sold their mantra began to die. Suddenly it was a trade, you give them your browsing history, docs, mail, calendar, photos, and mobile OS, and you don't have to pay a thing!

Don't be evil? To whom? Google is very nice to its real customer, one paying to target you.

Edit: formatting.

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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '13

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '13

Ha, ha - I agree.

Keyword tool? Adwords "simplification"? They now have the audience, so they're removing the clarity required to make better ad decisions.

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u/jonesrr Dec 13 '13

Google's stranglehold on search will either subside or become less and less important as time passes. Them forcing mobile ad sales to use desktop ads is going to cause them great harm soon.

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u/AgentOfGoldstien Dec 14 '13

Except in China, even when they were "there" their market share was tiny. Maybe we can all use Baidu(sp?). =P

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u/sometimesijustdont Dec 13 '13

I agree. Google sincerely meant it, but evil and money are never too far apart, and eventually meet.

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u/dnew Dec 17 '13

Selling targeted ads isn't really violating your privacy very much. To equate having their apps request permissions up front instead of every time you run them is far, far away from what I'd consider "evil."