Google’s story over the last two decades has been a tale as old as time: enshittification for growth. The once-beloved startup—with its unofficial “Don’t Be Evil” motto—has instead become a major Internet monopolist, as a federal judge ruled on Monday, dominating the market for online search. Google is also well-known for its data-harvesting practices, for constantly killing off products, and for facilitating the rise of brain-cell-destroying YouTubers who make me Fear for Today’s Youth. (Maybe that last one is just me?)

Google’s rapid rise from “scrappy search engine with doodles” to “dystopic mega-corporation” has been remarkable in many ways, especially when you consider just how much goodwill the company squandered so quickly. Along the way, though, Google has achieved one unexpected result: In a divided America, it offers just about everyone something to hate.

Here are just a few of the players hating Google today.

  • Modva@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    We demand infinite growth. Why? Because shareholders want to buy shares and sell them later for more.

    Do anything it takes to make that transaction happen, cut people’s jobs en masse, whatever.

    Forever.

    • profdc9@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Stock holders demand infinite growth. If the management doesn’t make money, they put in place new management. A company is only worth the value of the next stock buyback or dividend. It’s baked into the structure of corporations, especially publicly-owned corporations.

      • PhAzE@lemmy.ca
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        5 months ago

        Stock holders can sue the company if there’s a loss, too. That shouldn’t be a thing, but here we are.

    • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Infinite growth in a closed and limited system.

      I see absolutely nothing wrong with this.

      edit

      /s for the oblivious