google Originally a web search company. Megacorporation with a surveillance capitalist business model. Provides material support for drone wars and internet censorship in China. Approves of gentrification. Google are the new evil empire, replacing Microsoft as the number one source of concentrated evil within corporate computing. Hackers generally avoid Google products, particularly due to their extensive privacy issues and proprietary nature. It's common to hear hackers describe themselves as being "degoogled" or in the process if "degoogling" (i.e. removing themselves from participation in Google systems). In its early history in the 2000s Google was loved by hackers, and even hired some Free Software people. Over time though the company engaged increasingly in practices which were antithetical to hacker ethics.