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Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

nytimes.com

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Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#301

Post by hobs »

icelancer wrote: post #222
hobs wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really: "When companies become too large it quickly becomes a game of anti-competitive actions and distorted markets" Companies dont have our interests in mind any more than the government, but we can vote the government out.

>> we can vote the government out What do you think is more likely to happen? Companies losing market share because people stop spending money with them? Or government being voted out with meaningful change coming in to replace it?

Cynically, neither.

I just dont believe arguments made from the Koch brother's books about how companies are preferable are made in good faith, and saying them like they are matter of fact is not intellectually sound.

Both are giant entities that dont give a single crap about individuals.

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#302

Post by kyrieeschaton »

Google has a specific division, Jigsaw, previously Google Ideas, dedicated to advancing the interests of a group more or less synecdochic with the US State Department. They paradropped in a company of engineers to save the signature Obama administration policy proposal, at massive effective subsidy. We have just seen video and documentary evidence of them attempting to rig US elections to their favored result by massive, illegal, in-kind contributions to the Democratic party.

They are as much of a de facto agent of the deep state at this point as Lockheed, and probably more pernicious due to their attempts to cultivate self-reinforcing political power to manipulate policy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Cohen

https://wikileaks.org/google-is-not-what-it-seems/

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/emails-show-google-e...

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#303

Post by darpa_escapee »

hueving wrote: post #273
darpa_escapee wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These standards don't only apply to Google, though. They can be applied to anyone, which makes your comparison bills of attainder seem kind of odd.

What standards are you referring to? There are no US standards or laws against what Google is proposing.

Ethical standards.

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#304

Post by tsbertalan »

mulmen wrote: post #149
toss1 wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, YES, to the extent that the foreign policy is supporting & maintaining institutions & policies necessary for continued open democratic societies. By virtue of the US' historically strong support for open democracies (albeit often flawed or failed), and historical accident, it essentially now falls to the US to attempt to maintain it around the world. To the extent that we have failed to maintain and support…

I'm all for the US government supporting open democracy through foreign policy. The US electorate influences this policy. I don't want Google making decisions based on anything other than how to make money legally.

Wow, I've never seen a more open defense of profit motive as the only possible objective function for business.

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#305

Post by closeparen »

jniedrauer wrote: post #148
pg_bot wrote: post #27

This "broad pattern of unaccountable decision making", also called permissionless innovation, is the reason why America has a culture of innovation. For those unaware, the United States runs on what I call "Air Bud rules", named for this scene from the children's movie.[0] To summarize, as long as there isn't a rule forbidding you from doing something, you can do it. While I applaud his personal stance on refusing to…

We don't even have to go back very far to find examples of American companies exploiting people to the point of knowingly killing them.[0] > any solution that requires foregoing independent corporate decision making would be foolish Whether you think less regulation or more regulation is better, you can't in good faith advocate for no regulation. Corporations have demonstrated many times over the years that they are…

The existing regulatory framework waits for bad behavior to surface and then outlaws it specifically, which is fine. That’s a far cry from a regulatory framework designed to “rein in” corporations more generally, i.e. with regulatory review and approval steps for R&D allocation and product launches.

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#306

Post by karmictaint »

stale2002 wrote: post #280
oska wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For example, I think it's pretty troubling that the French government banned a bunch of Muslim religious garments. You're either misinformed on the French legislation or, less charitably, willfully misrepresenting it. The legislation [1] passed by the French government was a ban on face coverings in public spaces. It included covering the face with balaclavas, full face helmets, masks and yes, full face veils such…

Sure, but the entire reason that it was created was to target religious garb. All the other stuff has zero relation to why it was created in the first place. It would be like banning cross-shaped necklaces, and trying to pretend that this isn't targeting Christianity, because it technically targets all cross shaped necklaces and not just religious ones.

yes as we all know, ideas carry moral taint in the karmic dimension if they are not conceived in perfect current year purity according to the book of tumblr

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#307

Post by closeparen »

taurath wrote: post #228
bepotts wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or how about users take some ownership of their actions and educate themselves on how "free" services are making their money. If you don't like Google's tracking practices: don't use Google products. If you're okay with them, then keep using Google products. Free minds; free people; associating with each other freely. Washington should be weary of regulations like GDPR on principle. Plus I doubt GDPR would have passe…

> Or how about users take some ownership of their actions and educate themselves on how "free" services are making their money. They know. There’s nothing they can do about it. Even as someone who wants to protect their own privacy it’s impossible without being in a cave or updating your habits every week. Use Linux and duck duck go and don’t use any social media and don’t have a phone and only buy 15 year old TVs an…

If you succeed in eradicating Facebook, Google, and credit cards, you will not be able to use them anymore. Why is it unreasonable to stop using them a little early?

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#308

Post by [deleted] »

robotrout wrote: post #238
robotrout wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I applaud France's action here. Should have done it earlier. These women are often forced to wear such garments or face severe retribution from their fundamentalist communities. Making it illegal allows them a similar loophole that a US law not permitting US companies to implement surveillance programs would allow US companies. It takes the option off the table without inciting retribution against the women or the co…

[flagged]

[deleted]

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#309

Post by tsunamifury »

int_19h wrote: post #291
tsunamifury wrote: post #270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a nice platitude, but once you dig deeper you'll see that its not coherent. You're saying that companies are obligated to spread their home nation law to other nations, and conversely foreign companies to you in your own nation. I believe you'd find that extremely uncomfortable very quickly.

No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that American companies are obligated to not help other governments implement oppressive laws, or, in general, aid and abet in carrying out things that we consider despicable as a culture. This is not at all the same as American companies spreading American law elsewhere. The law should be applied to those companies operating here (in particular, any of their management and…

You are ultimately saying within a sovereign nation you should abide by the law of that nation but the cultural values of another.

Re: Ex-Google Employee Urges Lawmakers to Take on Company

#310

Post by netwanderer2 »

Look, if anyone wants to business in China, they would have to comply to the demands of government there, that's no question. It's common sense and nobody can avoid this. I think the question we need to ask is what motivates Google to return to this market? Does the costs and benefits analysis report show enough evidences to justify this action?
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