Google’s story over the last two decades has been a tale as old as time: enshittification for growth. The once-beloved startup—with its unofficial “Don’t Be Evil” motto—has instead become a major Internet monopolist, as a federal judge ruled on Monday, dominating the market for online search. Google is also well-known for its data-harvesting practices, for constantly killing off products, and for facilitating the rise of brain-cell-destroying YouTubers who make me Fear for Today’s Youth. (Maybe that last one is just me?)
Google’s rapid rise from “scrappy search engine with doodles” to “dystopic mega-corporation” has been remarkable in many ways, especially when you consider just how much goodwill the company squandered so quickly. Along the way, though, Google has achieved one unexpected result: In a divided America, it offers just about everyone something to hate.
Here are just a few of the players hating Google today.
Hopefully DeGoogleing will go a bit like the cable “Cord Cutters” did in terms of headlines over time:
- Is cutting cable feasible?
- Some are are finding solutions to lower their cable bills.
- Industry denies cord cutters are impacting profit.
- Providers cling to sports broadcasts as a way to short-circut cord cutters.
- Are young people the “never-cable” generation?
- Here’s where to watch the Olympics online.
Of course, streaming is worse than cable now… so lets learn from that.