[rickmb]

I don't believe Google is any better.

The confrontational way Google treats countries that actually try to protect their citizens rights and privacy against Google's invasive practices has me believing more and more that Google is just opportunistically waging a "governments bad, Google good" PR war, rather than actually displaying any ethics.

BTW, Google is an advertising company for which the users are the product, not the client. They are in no way "beholden to its users". That would apply to Microsoft, but not to Google.

In the long run, I prefer Microsoft's often clumsy and transparent nastiness over Google that actually tries to make people believe it's a force for good.

[vibrunazo]

> countries that actually try to protect their citizens rights and privacy

O.O

> Google is an advertising company

And Microsoft is trying as hard as they can to be one. Google doesn't put ads on their OS, Microsoft does on it's OS that you already paid for. Aren't they treating you as a paying product then?

> transparent

Oh, c'mon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Penn

[onlyup]

Which ads do MS put on their OS? There are ads in some apps on Windows 8. Is that what you mean?

[pdonis]

In the long run, I prefer Microsoft's often clumsy and transparent nastiness over Google that actually tries to make people believe it's a force for good.

I prefer neither. I don't use Windows except when forced to (at work), and I don't use any Google services except basic search and Google Maps (with all possible privacy filters in place).

[jb17]

> countries that actually try to protect their citizens rights and privacy

Haha. I assume you're talking about Germany. Hahaha.