This question was inspired by a conversation I had with an online friend from the UK (who shall remain anonymous). He told me that lots of his friends are boycotting Google and switching away from Gmail because it’s an American company. As someone who feels like I’m drowning in guilt and shame over everything Trump is doing to other countries, I’m curious to hear if you guys are switching to other email providers/search engines as a way to boycott the U.S. or Trump more specifically, as well as if you think I should too.
Thank you.
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This question was inspired by a conversation I had with an online friend from the UK (who shall remain anonymous). He told me that lots of his friends are boycotting Google and switching away from Gmail because it’s an American company. As someone who feels like I’m drowning in guilt and shame over everything Trump is doing to other countries, I’m curious to hear if you guys are switching to other email providers/search engines as a way to boycott the U.S. or Trump more specifically, as well as if you think I should too.
Thank you.
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Nope.
I moved away from Gmail long, long ago for privacy and security reasons. I use a browser that blocks ads so I don’t think they’re making much money from my searches or whatever. I’m not boycotting the US as an American, but let’s not pretend I can afford most American goods.
I’m not going to say I think you should boycott anyone specifically, but I think everyone should consider who they’re enriching with their money whenever they spend. Like in a oversimplified expression, I may have the cool new shiny thing you want, but if I’m going to take your money and use it to try to kill you is it really a deal you want to make?
No, but I do like to Google Gulf of Mexico and send feed back that’s it is called Gulf Mexico not America.
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Nah.
As I recall, Google employees often donate enough to Democrats to offset high-level management’s support for Republicans, but don’t quote me on it. And I don’t think as someone from the UK that I would change my behavior based on that. I get why they’re boycotting American companies. We’re not acting like good friends at the moment.
I haven’t been. I have been thinking of transitioning to Ecosia
There aren’t many alternatives.
I’m not consciously, but I’ve been going back to Yahoo and sometimes Bing for my searches, because Google’s search function is god awful now.
No, my school uses it and Microsoft, so I need both.
No, I used this since birth lad, no swapping now.
are there any other options
I’ve switched my default search tools to Duck Duck Go but haven’t had the time to fully divest from something like Gmail yet.
I mean, I own a Google Pixel phone. I’ve had my Gmail account for over 20 years. Also, Google employees overwhelmingly donate to Dem candidates across the board. So … no. I have my concerns about Google as a whole, but I’m not going to just ditch everything. Any other major reliable search engine or email provider is also American owned, so it would be a useless gesture, anyway.
I’m mainly using Firefox, Duckduckgo, and a Vodafone email. But that’s due to privacy concerns, not anything new
If I as an American living in America am expected to boycott companies because they’re American, I guess I’m fucked.
No. Anyone who says they are, and isn’t clearly a weird person, are lying. I’ve used Bing and Duckduckgo, they’re not effective.
My only other options are shit too. No ethical consumption. Not just Gmail but android too.
Boycott Google for your privacy’s sake but know it’s a losing battle because they have their hands in e v e r y t h i n g on the internet
Nope. Google owns a lot of things, YouTube, google maps, they host lots of websites, it’s very hard to fully boycott Google.
Even if I wanted to, it wouldn’t be possible.
Boycotting a company simply because it is “an American company” is like giving the right a big, shiny gift with a bow on top.
have for many years and also block google maps and sites which use it since it bought into “Gulf of America”
Yeah, but mostly because of how bad their products are becoming, as opposed to any political motivation.
Google search has gone to shit, and I ditched Chrome as soon as they yanked support for ad blockers.
Why would you “down in guilt and shame” over something you didn’t vote for and have no control over? Seems like a good way to become mentally unhealthy to me
Use fastmai or proton.
A lot of Google products are trash. Search is trash, YouTube is trash, Gmail scans your emails so it is trash, and maps is better than Apple Maps but I use Apple Maps because I hate Google.
I am, but not over politics. Google notoriously mines and sells our data. They started out with good intentions, but they got greedy.
You should be boycotting Google for completely non political reasons.
Nothing to do with Trump. I could care less if they support Trump.
Proton is objectively superior regardless of politics.
Always have, always will. I hate the south in general, actually. All that shit is way too corny for me.
When they changed Google maps in the UK to change the name of the gulf of Mexico I switched search engine.
It’s very hard to fully get rid of Google because it’s got monopolys over many things, but hopefully I can find some alternatives.