[dredmorbius]

Google could hold the data encrypted against a key you control and they do not. You'd have access to the data, and could control specifically when and to whom it's released.

It would continue to be backed up on Google's servers.

[vilmosi]

Yes but then why would they ever offer such services without monetisation opportunities?

[dredmorbius]

I was hoping someone might ask.

1. The snooping doesn't buy much ad placement benefit. That from Roberto Bayardo, Google advertising engineer.

2. The idea is not to cram ads down people's throughts all the time, but to not skeeve people off so much that you're not wwhere they go for purchase recommendations. If that means services which are mostly privacy-aware but that this means that you're where maps or shopping or search queries happen, that's a win.

A counter might be that Google's primary aim now isn't ads but AI and training data. I still think that not annoying or alarming people is preferable. Some data are better than no data, or intentionally distorted data, or massive regulatory burden.

Short answer: because privacy-promoting would be the better business choice.

[vilmosi]

Google got so big because it didn't "cram ads down people's throats all the time", I don't know why you think that.

Are you saying Google should drop Maps, Gmail, Drive and all the rest because they are not valuable from a business perspective? Their business is ads after all (today at least).

[dredmorbius]

I actively avoid Maps and Gmail because of the ads (and surveillance). Similarly Google search itself.

Which means that when I am open to suggestion I am on other services.

By not maximising the short-term ad-impressions (or other short-term) metric, Google increases odds of being there when people are interested in its money-maker: quality suggestions for commercial goods and services.

They've lost me. I suspect they'll lose others.

[vilmosi]

They've probably lost you but their business model is not shrinking, at all. Far from it.

>>> By not maximising the short-term ad-impressions (or other short-term) metric, Google increases odds of being there when people are interested in its money-maker: quality suggestions for commercial goods and services

Google is already 18 yo, they are clearly not playing the short term game.

And they are offering quality suggestions for commercial goods and services. People are arguing whether or not they collect too much data for said services, but I haven't heard anyone complain that their ads are obtrusive. Including yourself.