Google just called its new AI Search the "biggest upgrade in 25 years" but really, it's killing the open web.  😡

The open web was built by millions of people sharing knowledge freely → Now, Google who owns the monopoly on Search is ruining it. 

We wrote about what's really happening, and what you can do about it 👉 https://tuta.com/blog/why-google-ai-search-is-bad

#AI #AISearch #Google 

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Image of old Google with the title "How it started" and an image of the new Google with AI titled, "How it's going" and a text with an arrow pointing at Google's new AI search saying, "This is killing the open web"

A growing number of young consumers are turning to analog and single-purpose devices like cyberdecks and e-readers as a form of resistance to AI-first platforms and increasingly automated digital systems. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/06/15/world/gen-z-tech-trend-anti-ai/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #ai #analogartificialintelligence #ai #cyberdeck #alphabet #google #ebay #siliconvalley #microsoft #siliconvalley #genz

I am not always the biggest fan of the #BBC , but I find it hard to comprehend in the turbulent world we’re living in, that the news team should be cut.

We need real journalists, editors and production teams holding power to account. But hey, I’m not an ex-#Google techbro, so what do I know?

This on the same day that Michael Grade, the ex head of Ofcom states that GB News prioritising the ‘white majority’ is much needed.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/15/bbc-news-job-cuts-cost-saving-drive

A #German Court Has Ruled That #Google Is Liable for False Statements Generated by #AIOverviews

The ruling holds that a company that designs, trains, operates, and manages an #AI system must assume legal #liability for any damages caused by the responses it generates.

https://www.wired.com/story/a-court-has-ruled-that-google-is-liable-for-false-statements-generated-by-ai-overviews/

🎂Aujourd'hui ça fait pile un an que j'ai plus #WhatsApp (un peu plus pour #Google , mais ça demandait moins de préparation). J'ai beaucoup moins de distractions dues à des débats hors sujet dans des groupes de conversations, de messages instantanés non nécessaires... (ces problèmes seraient les mêmes avec d'autres outils de messagerie instantanée s'ils étaient assez fréquentés). Par contre, moins de message à mon anniversaire, mais c'est juste une fois par an !

I *really* must move off google blogger, no updates or improvements for years, but... oh yes we have plenty of time to shoehorn some AI bollocks in. 🤦
#blogging #blogger #google

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Screenshot of blogger showing new "AI powered enhancements" button.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Pettet8/116742131579090788

“Google was a different company 9 years ago.”

Hmm… was it, though? 🤔

https://ar.al/talks/#free-is-a-lie

#google #BigTech #peopleFarming #SiliconValley #surveillance #capitalism #meaCulpa

RE: https://floss.social/@VolkerKrause/116741489331797800

"… Regardless of how this will eventually materialize, the direction is clear, Android isn’t going to be a viable long-term platform for FOSS software, not even in its Google-free form. I have mostly considered it a stop-gap solution until Linux on the phone is ready anyway, so this is another reason to increase the effort into that direction."

https://volkerkrause.eu/2026/06/13/kde-android-news-june-2026.html#outlook

#Linux #Google #Android #KDE #FOSS

cc @lproven

Oh look, #Google #Play #Integrity has failed again on my phone. ARRGH!

But also, why the fuck does the app for my car, which just allows me to look at the car's state of charge and turn the aircon on, require Play Integrity in the first place?!

This may be far fetched, but I was thinking, since the official requirements for #Proctorio include only #Microsoft #Edge and #Google #Chrome browsers 🇺🇸 , do you think I could file a complaint to the Ombudswoman for political discrimination, in case an individual upholds EU digital sovereignty values?

The extension can be installed on all chromium-based browser, such as Brave and Opera 🇪🇺 , but it's not guaranteed to work.

#EPSO #Proctoring #TAO #EPSOPrep #EUPol #AD5 #EU

“Nobody needs #AI to search the Internet, court says in ruling against #Google.

Google AI Overview court loss in #Germany could spell doom for AI search industry.”

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/nobody-needs-ai-to-search-the-internet-court-says-in-ruling-against-google/

Some time ago, I decided to add my thoughts about "AI" to my site…

#tech #technology #BigTech #IT #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LLM #LLMs #ML #MachineLearning #GenAI #generativeAI #AIAgent #AISlop #FuckAI #Fuck_AI #enshittification #microslop #microsoft #copilot #meta #google #NVIDIA #gemini #OpenAI #ChatGPT #anthropic #claude

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Note that not all text from the image fitted in this Alt text... Generative Al is based on massive theft from creatives, without consent, credit or compensation. Using gen-Al is asking a chatbot to spit out the combined efforts of ripped-off creatives. It is industrializing and devaluing human expression, artistry and craftsmanship. Creatives are losing their jobs and motivation because tech corporations unscrupulously absorb and exploit their work. Tech corporations are building more and more huge Al data centers, consuming lots of internet bandwidth, energy, water and other valuable resources, increasing scarcity, prices and emissions, degrading the already fragile environment. When you're using an LLM like a chatbot or image generator, every bit of data you submit helps build a personal profile of you and your relatives, contributing to the power and reach of corporations and governments, and decreasing your privacy and security. Generative Al enables fake images, videos, text and speech that are widely used for abuse, deception, cybercrime, misinformation and propaganda, polluting safety, justice, science, news reporting and much more. Al use outsources your thinking and decision-making. Challenging your brain is essential to maintain mental agility, and to avoid Al dependency. Increasingly leaving tasks up to chatbots and gen-Al will result in a decline of skills, problem-solving capacity, independence and self-confidence.

So the big #google #ai decision from Germany is explained in this article. In it, they say

An analysis by AI startup Oumi for the New York Times found that Google's AI Overviews with the current Gemini 3 model answered correctly 91 percent of the time.

Their link? NY times dot com. Just the root of the New York Times. Thanks. I found the Oumi study.

This study about how unreliable AI results are quotes an AI company’s analysis of the data. Makes me a little skeptical. Definitely a weird look.

The AI study opens with:

Google’s AI Overviews have in a short time become an indispensable part of how we find information.

No, they have become inescapable. They are totally dispensable. Especially given all the things that study goes on to say.

Finally, let me show you the methodology they used to analyse how inaccurate the summaries are:

1. Search and screenshot the results
2. Use ML to OCR the screenshot into text
3. Submit the OCR to GPT-5
4. Scrape all the references and feed them to Oumi’s AI
5. Write a report

Humans verify the report, not what went into it. I don’t see how we support the idea the AI is inaccurate by doing analysis with the same inaccurate technology.

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Flowchart with boxes and arrows as I describe above.

🌐 Many companies now block older browser versions from accessing their websites!

This follows many #browser makers ending updates 4 older operating systems, leaving legacy devices unable to use #web services without an #OS upgrade.

This kinda reminds me of the Java #website block by browsers a few years ago, just in reverse. (Revenge? ;)

Old #Android versions are also increasingly blocked from accessing the #Google #appstore.

Truly about security or perhaps Planned Obsolescence?

#Tech #News

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Screenshot of a notification on a website: Sorry, we no longer support your browser version. Please upgrade your browser or use the ***** mobile app. In order to provide new and engaging experiences for our customers, we require the use of the latest browser versions. This ensures that you can have the best possible experience with additional benefits including improved privacy and security. Please upgrade to the latest version of the following browsers: Chrome Edge Firefox Safari Opera

The most dangerous change in Google's privacy policies newly announced

This is the operative text that is most alarming. It means that not only your search history, but IMAGES AND OTHER MEDIA that gets uploaded to #Google as part of Search will be saved AND USED TO TRAIN GOOGLE #AI unless you have explicitly turned off these history settings. This is a BIG deal. -L

- - -
Google will now save your media to your Search Services History, applying robust privacy and security protections. Like your Search Services History, your saved media is also used to develop and improve Google services and technologies, including AI models and safety measures. With this transition, if your Web & App Activity setting is currently turned on, this new Save Media subsetting will also be turned on along with your Search Services History.
- - -

Are we about to see more enshittification with our smartphones?

From right back in the days of Nokia, every 12 months or so, mobile phone makers have tended to upgrade the specs on their phones.

Thanks to Apple, they've learnt how to slowly degrade the performance of their older models. But the tradeoff has been that you get a slightly better camera, or bigger screen, or more battery life.

Android Authority has noticed something curious about the latest phones from a number of major brands, like Motorola and Google.

Their smartphones for 2026 are basically the same specs as the ones from last year, or even slightly worse. In some cases, they have processors from as far back as 2021.

The main thing you get by upgrading is access to new AI features.

There's no reason last year's phones couldn't provide these features. They're powerful enough, have enough memory, etc. The companies are seemingly choosing to not make them available.

In essence, the mobile phone makers are saying that your perfectly capable phone won't get the software upgrades, and to use them, you'll need to buy a new phone with almost identical hardware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-oBr2yxOAg

The joys of late capitalism, huh?

#smartphone #Android #Google #Enshittification #phone #phones #Motorola #pixel #GooglePixel #Gemini

Algorithmic censorship

These are 10/16 images blocked by Google's NotebookLM in my latest project:

"The image content is not supported."

#photography
#censorship
#algorithms
#inequality
#India
#Bangladesh
#Google
#NotebookLM

@foone

Do you have the paid tier #Google (Like extra drive space)?

The free #Gemini is V 1.fuck_all and is dumb as two bricks tied with garden twine.
Even though the actual prompt says "Try Gemini 3"

Update. #Google supports the #RightToRepair bill in #Oregon, even as applied to #Pixel phones.
https://9to5google.com/2024/01/11/pixel-right-to-repair/

But it adds this proviso: "Legislation should acknowledge the risks borne by unskilled repairers and allow original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to provide parts assemblies rather than individual components to reduce the risk of injury."

Primary source
https://www.gstatic.com/gumdrop/sustainability/right-to-repair.pdf

Update. Compared to #Apple, #Google is embracing #RightToRepair. "Google wants everything you need to repair your [#Pixel] device to be available in your 'kitchen drawer.'"
https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/google-wants-to-design-pixel-phones-to-be-repairable-without-special-tools

Google offers opt-out of “AI” search results for websites, promises it won’t affect regular search rankings

Google is adding a switch to allow website owners to opt out of being featured in their "AI" overviews and related slopsearch results.

With this new toggle in Search Console, website owners can decide if they want thei

https://www.osnews.com/story/145194/google-offers-opt-out-of-ai-search-results-for-websites-promises-it-wont-affect-regular-search-rankings/

#Google

If you’re on YouTube, please move to @peertube. It’s a far better platform. And, well, it’s not Google.

What’s more, they have @Chocobozzz who is a great developer and a friendly person.

https://joinpeertube.org

🧵2/2

#YouTube #Google #Monopoly #PeerTube #VPN #Privacy #Video #Capitalism

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Comparison graphic between YouTube and PeerTube. The big swindle: YouTube charges companies for ads, then charges viewers to remove them. PeerTube charges no one for anything. And they don’t control what you share/watch. JoinPeerTube.org.

The fact that YouTube has an unchecked monopoly on the video landscape is a travesty. Especially since while on a VPN they want you to log-in if you want to watch anything.

Why? Because if you’re on a VPN, it thinks you’re a bot. The irony of that is wild.

I don’t have a Google account. I won’t sign in or disable my VPN.

🧵1/2

#YouTube #Google #Monopoly #PeerTube #VPN #Privacy #Video #Capitalism

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Video search results with every single video having a YouTube logo.

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Error message in the DuckDuckGo browser. It says “sorry, YouTube thinks you’re a bot. This can happen if you’re using a VPN. Try turning the VPN off or switching server locations and reloading this page. If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to sign in and watch this video on YouTube without the added privacy of Duck Player.”

European Parliament ditches #Google for French search firm over privacy concerns

The switch lands as #EU officials prepare a broader push to wean off US tech.

🖊️ Milena Wälde and Pieter Haeck

Move over, Google. Qwant is taking over as the European Parliament’s default search engine.

https://www.politico.eu/article/european-parliament-ditches-google-for-french-search-engine

This might leave a mark.

European Parliament to ditch Google for European alternative | Euractiv
#Tech #Google
https://www.euractiv.com/news/european-parliament-to-ditch-google-for-european-alternative/

More and more apps on Android like health insurance apps in germany rely on Play Integrity API and require MEETS_STRONG_INTEGRITY

Do you think this will make GrapheneOS unusable in the medium term?

#grapheneos #google

Tuta joins Euro-Office 🇪🇺 - one week before its first launch! 🔥

➡️ https://tuta.com/blog/tuta-joins-euro-office

Let's bring freedom from #Microsoft and #Google to Europe, @nextcloud @openproject @xwikiorg @soverin #EuroStack

Let's build a better web! 💪🏼 🎉

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Euro-Office Open Source Microsoft Office Alternative with logos of participants

The man who wrote "Don't be evil" said he chose it specifically so it would be hard to remove. Paul Buchheit, the engineer who later built Gmail, suggested the phrase at a Google corporate values meeting on July 19, 2001.

Then in early 2018, internal documents leaked showing that Google had signed a Pentagon contract to build AI to analyze drone footage. By April, over 3,000 Google employees had signed a letter to Sundar Pichai demanding the contract be cancelled.

The letter specifically cited "Don't be evil" as the standard the company was failing to meet. Dozens of engineers resigned in protest.

Sometime between late April and early May, the slogan disappeared from the code of conduct's preface.

#Google #AI #Tech

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Screenshot of a Wikipedia page: Don't be evil "Don't be evil" was Google's former motto, and a phrase used in Google's corporate code of conduct.[1[21[3][4] In 2018, Google removed the original motto from the preface of its code of conduct, [°]

Honestly, I'm confused why the #TrumpAdministration used #OpenStreetMap rather than #GoogleStreetMap for their https://aliens.gov/ site— #Google famously renamed the #GulfOfMexico to the "Gulf of America" while the #OSM community discussed it but refrained from it for the time being

#uspol #politics #TrumpAdministration2026 #SecondTrumpAdminstration #AlphabetLLC #AlienFiles #GOP_Propaganda #Fascism #Project2025 #AlienEnemiesAct #HabeasCorpus #DueProcess

I hope you don’t use Google. I especially hope you don’t use Google Family. And I especially really much so hope you don’t use Google Family Link.

But if you do…

https://techwolf12.nl/blog/google-family-link-exploit/

#Privacy #InfoSec #OpSec #Google #GoogleFamily #GoogleFamilyLink

Google has put Canonical in charge of maintaining and developing the roadmap for Flutter Desktop.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/05/flutter-desktop-canonical-maintained?v1

#ubuntu #flutter #google

I've had admin powers at 5+ companies' Google Workspace/G Suite over the past decade or so. Every single one had groups which were misconfigured, often so anyone in the whole company could join without approval or see the message history at https://groups.google.com without being a member at all.

This is because for any sensible configuration of Google Groups when using it for email groups you have to use the "Custom" permissions mode. The default Public mode doesn't allow external people to email the group, but does allow the whole company to see all the messages. The default Team mode, has the same problem of everyone being able to see all the messages.

Also let's not forget that dangerous little "Anyone in the organisation can join" toggle at the bottom which is on by default. So any random new starter can join your confidential company directors group and get all the emails sent to it.

Giving Google the benefit of the doubt here, I think the reasoning might be that Google Groups is intended as a kind of company forum, not for private email groups. However that isn't how anyone uses it in my experience...

#security #infosec #google #googleworkspace

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Screenshot of the default Google Group settings for team mode

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Screenshot of the default Google Group settings for public mode