Fun fact: once upon a time Google had “Don’t be evil” as their core motto, but replaced it in 2015 with “Do the Right Thing”. A subtle shift that has some pretty interesting implications.
You may have heard people talking about wanting to move away from Google, but have you actually considered why? Google offers a multitude of really convenient software products, and they do an incredible job of communicating with each other. If you receive an appointment reminder email in GMail, it’ll show up as a calendar event in Google Calendar without you doing anything.
But as the saying goes, “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product“. The reason Google can offer so many different software services for free because they’re making their money elsewhere; typically through advertisements and selling data. They gather massive amounts of data on every user, they are working on automating police data requests with AI, and they even add secret microphones into their products in the name of consumer convenience. Richard Stallman, a computer scientist and vocal proponent of truly free software, has a whole slew of reasons why Google shouldn’t be trusted.
More broadly, your digital privacy is slowly being eroded with all sorts of concerning consequences. You may think privacy isn’t that big of a deal because you don’t have anything to hide, but all sorts of situations in the US show that operating within the law can change on a dime depending on who is in power. Take for example the law recently passed in Kansas that effectively canceled the drivers licenses of anyone who is trans. Even if you currently “have nothing to hide”, the definition of what should be hidden is constantly changing as political uncertainty grows.
With all of this in mind, it’s probably worth thinking about more about your internet and software usage. Even if your main takeaway from this series of articles is that you’re more aware of the products you’re using, I would consider that a win. Curious about moving away from using Google? Check below for some popular Google products and alternatives to consider!
Resources
| Google Software | What it does | Alternatives |
| YouTube | Video player | YouTube Alternatives |
| Google (search) | Search the web | Google Search Alternatives |
| Google Docs | Document editor | Google Docs Alternatives |
| GMail | GMail Alternatives | |
| Google Maps | Navigation | Google Maps Alternatives |
More to come later! Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and maybe more?