By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 10/03/2026The content-based ads made Google *billions*, but the company made a gamble that surveillance-based ads would make them *more* money. That gamble had two parts: the first was that advertisers would pay more for surveillance ads. 4/ 121 0
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 10/03/2026This is the part we all focus on - the collusion between people who want to sell us stuff and companies willing to spy on us to help them do it. But the other half of the bet is *far* more important: namely, whether spying on us would *cost* Google anything. 5/ 130 0
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 10/03/2026Would they face fines? Would users collect massive civil judgments over these privacy violations? Would Google face *criminal* charges? 6/ 140 0
