DISCLAIMER: Expressed views on this blog are my own.
Looks like an interesting company from the outside and I'm sure it is on the inside too. I like Google Maps, GMail, Search, Android and others. These software collect data and act on the data, which is fine with me as long as it makes the software useful. Is it a problem that I like a number of products created by one company? Is it concerning to me at all?
Not much if decisions are made with good intent and good reasons. From time to time, mistakes will be made and those usually result in public outcry and/or fines (regulations are good tools). Google isn't a perfect company and I get that part.
Google's had some external and internal issues put out in the air lately. Such as an engineer who put out a doc which could have used an editor (https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3914586/Googles-Ideological-Echo-Chamber.pdf), which got him fired in the end. Google pushing out a person from a think thank who was critical of Google's policies. Just a few that I can remember right now. Are these a pattern of removing critical people and for what goal?
Antitrust issues too because of someone being critical/being cautious? (https://vivaldi.com/blog/google-return-to-not-being-evil/) We gotta do what we gotta do to stay competitive, but what is the reason for this? Why bother with critics?
I guess we will see in the upcoming months what direction Google is taking if the stories pick up or not.
