this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2026
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Mass surveillance for advertising seems marginally more benign than mass surveillance by one's own government, personally. Though admittedly both are bad.
Edit: I can find alternatives for most of Google's ecosystem but mapping out accurate bus routes is terrible via OSM/OsmAnd or Organic Maps. Anyone have any tips there?
Mass surveillance for advertising is just gross. I remember a comedian making a joke saying that 'anyone here in advertising? Please kill yourself!' Also just because someone got all the info on your for advertising, it doesn't mean the government won't get access to it, because right now 4th amendment and other traditional restrictions on government overreach are moot if all they need to do is buy the data from some broker on you. This has actually happened and it was upheld in court.
The precedent for stuff like that is older than you think, but also not what you think. For example some serial killers and serial bank robbers were caught because some homeless person searched through their trash looking for something they can use, eat, or sell (all of these things are legal to do BTW) and they discover things like body parts, firearms, or brand new clothes that also fit the clothes that said criminal was wearing when they did their crimes, and said homeless people reported this to the police.
But I am quite confident that someone who just so happens to stumble upon something vs. a company watching your every move are two very different things.
The mission statement is irrelevant when the outcome is the same. Google has data a hostile power wants and goes it to them whenever they want.
Sure but our representatives should be held to a higher standard.