Does Google want to control our world? The Guardian asks. "First, we must ask ourselves: what exactly is Google today? And the answer is this: it is an extremely successful and profitable advertising company, with 90% of its turnover for 2013, approximately 40 billion euros, coming from the economic exploitation of so-called Google ads," the British newspaper writes.
In total, Google has bought 160 companies since 2001. Some of them make thermostats, smoke detectors, robotics applications and robot parts, and it even bought Zagat, a company that reviews restaurants. What does all this mean? Is there an ulterior motive?
The truth is that in recent years, Google has seemed increasingly willing to expand into areas such as robotics. Initially, it was announced that the company, aspiring to bring its own revolution in transportation, would build cars without a driver, steering wheel, or brakes. That is, a “smart” two-seater electric car that would have only two on-off buttons (go-stop) and would drive… by itself, autonomously and without the slightest contribution from the driver.
Google has said that the vehicle, which is designed for urban and suburban travel rather than highways, will improve people's lives and transform the way they travel, while taking full advantage of Google's full range of digital maps. It remains to be seen how it will commercialize this idea.
And that's all? Google has unveiled its plans to develop robots that will take over many manual tasks currently performed by humans, as announced a few months ago by Andy Rubin, head of Google's robotics department. For this reason, the company has made sure to acquire at least seven small and medium-sized businesses that have developed prototype hardware and software focused on robotic applications.
Although the first applications will be intended exclusively for businesses, and not for ordinary consumers, it is clear that the ultimate target is the consumer, judging by the development of Google's "smart" glasses.
“It has long been clear that Google considers that nothing out there is outside its scope of interest. Everything can be analyzed, organized, and presented as algorithms. All everyday devices and objects, from our refrigerator to our clothes, can become data and algorithms and generate profit. It is, undoubtedly, an overambitious plan, but no one has ever accused Google of modesty,” notes Shiva Vaidyanathan, a Cultural Historian at the American University of Virginia and author of the book “The Googlization of Everything.”.
Somewhere here, of course, comes the question of whether Google is unfairly exploiting the Internet for its own benefit or for other purposes. Years ago, the company adopted a policy of censorship of its users' blogs, announcing that all personal blogs could be censored, depending on the laws prevailing in each country. Finally, a few months ago, the European Court of Justice, in its decision, obliged Google to respect the "right to be forgotten" and delete personal data of its users, if they wish, from its popular Internet search engine. The decision sided with those who believe that people should have the "right to be forgotten," which means that they should be able to remove their digital traces from the Internet.
“All of this is happening partly because we allowed it to happen. We may have initially thought of all these new Google apps as something ‘magical,’ but we must not forget that, yes, it is an extremely interesting case of a company, but this too is a company subject to the laws of modern capitalism. Google cannot be an exception to this rule. Nor will it always act in the public interest,” Vaidyanathan concludes.
Source: planet-greece.blogspot.com
