Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom • Hacker News Board

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#61

Post by benjaminjosephw » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 4:39 AM UTC

Spooky23 wrote: post #28

Sophistifunk wrote: post #2

From where I sit the #1 risk to the free and open internet these days is Google. Edit: two reasons: 1) Because adtech is destroying society. Surveillance is never good. Ads as funding smears absolutely everything with perverse incentives that act consistently against both the explicit wishes and implicit best-interests of the viewers, and (it seems moreso every year) society at large. 2) Google is doing everything it…

Google is literally the only tech giant with an interest in the open internet. Facebook scored the mortal wound on the web — they reinvented a bigger, badder AOL closed garden.

Relying on giants to defend the interests of the rest of us mere humans sounds dangerous.

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#62

Post by dredmorbius » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 4:43 AM UTC

bsmith0 wrote: post #10

Sophistifunk wrote: post #2

From where I sit the #1 risk to the free and open internet these days is Google. Edit: two reasons: 1) Because adtech is destroying society. Surveillance is never good. Ads as funding smears absolutely everything with perverse incentives that act consistently against both the explicit wishes and implicit best-interests of the viewers, and (it seems moreso every year) society at large. 2) Google is doing everything it…

These are the most predictable HN comments

Truth has a certain inevitability, doesn't it?

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#63

Post by logicchains » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 4:45 AM UTC

bluthund wrote: post #57

iratewizard wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just like how YouTube has become a more open and free platform in their care. Or how search results have become more open and free since they dominated market share.

Do you guys factor the deplatforming they do into this or are you not aware that they are heavily involved in censorship on their platforms

The person you're replying to was likely being sarcastic.

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#64

Post by brightball » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 4:46 AM UTC

Sophistifunk wrote: post #2

From where I sit the #1 risk to the free and open internet these days is Google. Edit: two reasons: 1) Because adtech is destroying society. Surveillance is never good. Ads as funding smears absolutely everything with perverse incentives that act consistently against both the explicit wishes and implicit best-interests of the viewers, and (it seems moreso every year) society at large. 2) Google is doing everything it…

IMO it’s actually Twitter.

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#65

Post by eitland » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 4:48 AM UTC

For all my scathing criticism of Google I actually wish them well.

There is a whole lot of things they did right (and do right), only they are now often messing up even basics.

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#66

Post by tux1968 » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 4:52 AM UTC

0xbadcafebee wrote: post #16

m1sta_ wrote: post #14

I do hope that people read the article and comment on its contents rather than just getting stuck in a loop of "Google bad".

Nobody likes to challenge their own beliefs - especially when it's a negative belief. (I could provide links to studies, but I like to think the downvotes prove my point for me)

And upvotes would equally reinforce the validity of your claim for you. Since you're likely as reluctant to challenge your own beliefs as anyone else.

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#67

Post by imwillofficial » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 4:59 AM UTC

Barrin92 wrote: post #59

erdo wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except of course Google is not a search engine company, Google is an advertising company

To this day I have no idea what that statement is supposed to express despite seeing it about a dozen times per week. Google makes money selling ads yes, but their core product is search. Like a newspaper, which does journalism, and also has an ad department, or a TV show, with ad breaks, or a sports broadcast. Do people think Google makes their search worse to... sell fewer ads?

It properly calls attention to what google’s primary purpose is.

Its not search.

A newspaper’s primary purpose is to inform the public, and make money while doing so.

Googles primary purpose is not search, and to make money while doing so.

Googles primary purpose is collect and sell data, and make money while doing so.

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#68

Post by imwillofficial » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 5:01 AM UTC

jeffbee wrote: post #38

Consultant32452 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When they hide data you're obviously and explicitly looking for they are making the internet less open. Look at the google vs duckduckgo search results for this: "How a Convicted Terrorist used the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Website to Identify Targets"

[flagged]

That’s an interesting theory, any data to support it? Has this Cernovich guy done stuff like this in the past?

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#69

Post by imwillofficial » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 5:02 AM UTC

tux1968 wrote: post #66

0xbadcafebee wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody likes to challenge their own beliefs - especially when it's a negative belief. (I could provide links to studies, but I like to think the downvotes prove my point for me)

And upvotes would equally reinforce the validity of your claim for you. Since you're likely as reluctant to challenge your own beliefs as anyone else.

This is like inception for self fulfilling prophecy

Re: Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom

#70

Post by BuyMyBitcoins » Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 5:06 AM UTC

ignoramous wrote: post #50

Sophistifunk wrote: post #2

From where I sit the #1 risk to the free and open internet these days is Google. Edit: two reasons: 1) Because adtech is destroying society. Surveillance is never good. Ads as funding smears absolutely everything with perverse incentives that act consistently against both the explicit wishes and implicit best-interests of the viewers, and (it seems moreso every year) society at large. 2) Google is doing everything it…

To be fair, Pichai's quote is taken out of context. In his capacity as Alphabet CEO, he worries about neutrality of the interconnects. TFA goes: > And, when I asked about whether the Chinese model of the internet - much more authoritarian, big on surveillance - is in the ascendant, Pichai said the free and open internet "is being attacked". Importantly, he didn't refer to China directly but he went on to say: "None o…

Call me a cynic but I’m 99% sure that group of Google’s is probably just as ideologically progressive as Google and not independent in any substantial way. Everything from that link reads like progressive ad-copy.