I must admit that my perception of Google has varied widely over time. When it first started out I was a steadfast AltaVista user. I resented Google's encroachment (and still prefer the control I had over searching with AltaVista), although AltaVista's demise was probably fore-ordained.
I didn't like any of Google's desktop products, knowing well before most how much data was going to Google when you used it. But, over time, when Google didn't do anything nefarious with the huge data warehouse they had, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
I tried Google+ when it came out, and it was infinitely superior to Facebook. But, since I'm not a social media fan, over time I stopped using it.
Now they've had a breach.
(Lauren Weinstein, long time Google enthusiast, semi-insider, and gadfly, feels this is the beginning of the end for Google.)
Hmmmm, Google abandoned their original motto
Google Removes 'Don't Be Evil' Clause From Its Code of Conduct
They intentionally hid the Google+ Breach from the world, because they feared COngress might act to regulate the company: (WSJ)
Google Exposed User Data, Feared Repercussions of Disclosing to Public
Google opted not to disclose to users its discovery of a bug that gave outside developers access to ...
Google refused to bid on the U.S. Defense Department's massive cloud services contract because the DOD work would violate the company's "principles:" (FedScoop)
Google drops out of $10B JEDI competition
What Principles? Find them here in Google's BLOG.
Quoting from the blog:
... we will not design or deploy AI in the following application areas:
1. Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm. Where there is a material risk of harm, we will proceed only where we believe that the benefits substantially outweigh the risks, and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints.
2, Weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people.
3. Technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms.
4. Technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.
But Google is happy to build a censoring and monitoring search and data collection service for China
Report: Google to launch censored Search in China despite denials.
Yeah, clearly a great organization!