Don't be Google

In its beginnings, when Google appeared on the market, the company had a good image of a company concerned about society and more or less just causes, and that was helped by its famous slogan: "Don't be evil", which could be translated as “do no bad things”. Admittedly, it was a good slogan and was full of good intentions.

But that was many years ago and since then things have changed a lot. The company has banished that "moto" from its intentions and has not put any in its place. Now it is a company like any other that maximizes its profit and that of its shareholders as much as it can, often leaving aside the social consequences of its actions.

So much so that now many other small companies recently created in the Silicon Valley environment are promoting the "movement" of not being and not behaving like Google and use the expression: "Don't be Google". And I like the idea.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Today Google, in addition to being the main promoter of online ads, is the reference on which all companies rely to analyze what happens on the networks and the Internet using Goggle Analytics and Google Console Search. Nothing escapes their data tracking surveillance.

But worst of all, no one knows the parameters they use to make their measurements. Its calculation algorithms are secret and change over time to adapt to the circumstances. Conclusion: we are all in their hands without knowing how.

In Europe we have a regulation for the protection of our data ( GDPR ), but it is not clear what is done with them, because it is very difficult to get to know it.

In theory, no company could take our personal data outside the European environment. The reality will be whatever it is and I am convinced that part of our data is in the USA, China, and who knows where.

Fines are levied on these large companies, which, if applied, take several years to apply and their figures are laughable compared to the benefits they obtain. Conclusion: they keep doing the same thing.

Users live in the fictitious world of free Internet services, and due to the profit figures presented by Google, Facebook, and other companies, we are somewhat aware of how much they earn with our data, although we do not know very well how they do it.

And a large majority of citizens set aside their privacy to enjoy the APPs of their mobiles. That's how we are, and that's how it goes.

It's a shame and I'm sorry.