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by randomsearch 1325 days ago
To call Google an “advertising company” is disingenuous and I suspect you know that. Whilst Facebook has been obsessed with chasing eyeballs and advertising, Google has built Google maps, Gmail, Android, Translate, all kinds of search, GCP, the leading web browser, Chromebooks, self driving cars, the most advanced quantum computer, world leading AI research and a ton more.

There’s no comparison to Facebook.

2 comments

> To call Google an “advertising company” is disingenuous

It probably depends on one’s perspective. Their Q3’22 financials show that $54b of their $69b revenue for the quarter is advertising income. It is also listed first in their financials.

https://abc.xyz/investor/static/pdf/2022Q3_alphabet_earnings...

their money comes from ads. Of all the things you mentioned -

Maps I'm pretty sure is a loss leader or used for data for ads

Gmail as well

Android is platform to hit you with ads

Chrome/Chromeboooks also

GCP is actually a viable business, albeit in a very competitive market

self driving cars, research, quantum computers, none of those make money.

There is a perfect comparison to Facebook, and for that matter, MTV and the New York Times. They all make money by selling ads.