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usonian

(16,826 posts) Fri Mar 7, 2025, 11:40 AM Mar 7

Google is pure evil. Google tracks you like Lieutenant Colombo. Stop using it and use alternatives today.

Cross-posted in GD

When the product is free, YOU are the product being sold.
Activists? Using Google is like having the gazpacho police at your side.

Google Calendar Deletes Women’s History Month and Other Cultural Events
https://archive.ph/fV3e3#selection-4557.0-4557.71. (NYT)

But Google said it removed the calendar observances in the middle of last year for apolitical reasons. Maintaining hundreds of moments manually each year for various countries “wasn’t scalable or sustainable,” a Google spokeswoman said in a statement.

. With thousands of "the brightest people" on board and AI and bots that do everything.

FUCKING COWARDS AND LIARS.

Google Unwinds Employee Diversity Goals, Citing Trump’s D.E.I. Orders
https://archive.ph/FvnlD#selection-665.0-665.69 (NYT)

Google reported last year that 5.7 percent of its work force was Black, up from 3.7 percent in 2020. And 7.5 percent of its employees were Hispanic or Latino, compared with 5.9 percent in 2020.

Does the term "racist" apply here?

'Are You Human?' How Google's reCAPTCHA Secretly Harvests Your Data

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/02/googles-anti-bot-recaptcha-acts-like-spyware-report-claims.html
The Google reCAPTCHA spyware

YouTuber “Chuppl” recently published a video report that claims that Google’s reCAPTCHA v2 and v3 aren’t the safeguards against bots like we think. Instead, the Google reCAPTCHA system might be more sinister than bots and could be spyware, where it apparently tracks your browser history and cookies and sells that information to advertisers or other companies that are willing to pay for this kind of valuable information. In fact, the tracking data Google collects is estimated to be valued at a staggering $898 billion.

For instance, the reCAPTCHA v3 system, which only requires users to click a checkbox, might be collecting more data than we think. The system tracks mouse movement under the assumption that only humans can move a mouse, not bots. For the most part, that is true, but researchers told Chuppl that in addition to capturing mouse movement, it also collects user agent data and other bits of identifying information.

AND YOU CAN'T OPT OUT OF IT.

Google eagerly sells your location and other data to police.

ALTERNATIVES TO ALL GOOGLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Alternatives to Google Products – Complete List for 2025
https://cyberinsider.com/google-alternatives/

With growing concerns over online privacy and securing personal data, more people than ever are considering alternatives to Google products.

After all, Google's business model essentially revolves around data collection and advertisements, both of which infringe on your privacy. More data means better (more targeted) ads and consequently, more revenue for Google. The company pulled in over $230 billion in ad revenue last year — and that number continues to climb higher.

But the word is getting out. A growing number of people are seeking alternatives to Google products that respect their privacy and data. Since you are reading this, we assume you are one of them.

The complete list of alternatives to all Google products (2021)
https://www.techspot.com/news/80729-complete-list-alternatives-all-google-products.html

Search engines with enhanced privacy
https://cyberguy.com/security/best-private-and-safe-browser-alternatives-to-google/

Google has been the world’s dominant search engine for years and shows no signs of slowing down. However, many have started to realize just how far this tech giant’s reach is. The amount of our information they harvest without care or consent is beyond what anyone could have imagined.

Every click you make, and site you visit is stored inside Google and used for their benefit. They can sell these intimate pieces of information to advertisers, which leads to those frighteningly accurate promotions you may receive when on the web.

There is a way to stop feeding the giant. Each year, more and more promising browsers and search engines are developed that can rival Google in terms of features and search accuracy.

Search engines with enhanced privacy
https://proton.me/blog/alternative-search-engines
Google records everything you do as you use its search engine and other apps. Here are some alternative search engines that respect your privacy.