#Google’s done it again. #AV2, son of AV1. #Streaming video using 30% less bandwidth.
Google always needs a handicap, making unique chips for this. AV1 ground out slowly, and AV2 won’t happen for 10 years, though they'll have chips for 2028.
Assuming most will update their streaming device, be it bespoke like Roku or generalized like a phone, in the next 5 to 8 years, is hilarious.
Between the consumers financial burden & just not needing to, Google is doing that thing they normally do: pretend.

@thomasfuchs People will though. The same people for whom it takes about three seconds to find high res selfie video of them online. Because they absolutely want some unknown device being able to log into their account.

Of course some people will be coerced into doing it by an abusive partner.

#Google does not care. Google wants to eat your face. #FuckGoogle

The European Commission fined #Google €890 million for breaching the #DigitalMarketsAct, by promoting their own services and restricting customer access to alternatives on #GoogleSearch and #GooglePlay.

More information: link.europa.eu/vrNJTx

#RegulateBigTech #Regulation #EU

How in the sweet blue assfuck does NetGuard keep getting disabled on my phone?

I've had to toggle it back on 3 times this week.

In related news, I've had to toggle OFF background data on all my apps AGAIN.

It would be splendid if the cunts at Google knew what the fuck OFF means.

#android netguard #google

@molly0xfff Next thing #Google is offering discount codes for #subscription-based #PillReminder - #Apps to #Opioid #addicts, I guess…

- DID THEY EVER TESTED THEIR SHITE!??

#angry #venting #rant #sarcasm #commentary

@mwichary

Damn. Sadly Chrome (/Chromium) is the only browser that will properly install web apps.

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/if-you-use-google-chrome-your-device-may-have-secretly-downloaded-a-4gb-ai-model/

#Chrome #Google #GoogleChrome

@nina_kali_nina yes, the #Enshittification is rampant and #Google pulling a deathkneel against @fdroidorg is a huge problem!

I'm laughing, #google just sent email telling me that soon my #Android backups will count towards my 15gb allowed storage limit. Well, my Android phone uses .6gb, and I refuse to store any other personal info on their servers, so I guess I'm OK 😀

Just an idea for UK/EU digital legislation.

All non-FOSS, proprietary mobile apps must have a web alternative. This will allow people to use services without relying on Apple/Google services and telemetry via a phone web browser of their choice (rather than having to download the app).

Yes - there'll be plenty of cases where this can't happen, but I think it's a good starting point.

#FOSS #Android #Apple #Google #UK #EU #Apps

From #LouisRossmann, for anyone concerned with #surveillance and #faceRecognition:

The image recognition component of #Google #Gemini insists that multiple contemporary photos of American repair technician and #rightToRepair advocate Steven Rhine are definitely photos of an (obviously long-dead) #Sep11 hijacker.

As is said in the video, “what the #flock!”

(Yes, it’s a different image matching program returning a false positive, but Flock warrants becoming a curse.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JbQhcTF7Uk

#ai #deflock #privacy #uspol #cdnpoli

A lot of people are moving away from Big Tech. Many more would like to do so, but they do not know that it is really easy to do so and that there are good options.

You do, given that you are here. Maybe time to help your friends?

Some good options, that I use myself :

OS : Linux.
Browser : Vivaldi.
Mail client : Vivaldi.
Calendar client : Vivaldi.
Mail Service : Proton, FastMail.
Social : Mastodon & Fediverse in general.
Office package : Libre Office.
Video conference : Whereby.

Feel free to suggest more options and share with your friends!

#Linux #BigTech #Microsoft #Apple #Google #Alternative #EU #Europa #Vivaldi #Browser #Mail #Calendar #Technology

@pluralistic on the AI bubble.

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIBubble #economy #Nvidia #OpenAI #Anthropic #Microsoft #Oracle #Google #ElonMusk #Grok #capitalism #grift

'This is for everyone.' The inspirational description of the internet by @timbl - and now the title of his memoir.

Big US Tech and LLMs are now so sewn into the fabric of the internet that it benefits the digital oligarchs and not 'everyone'.

It'll only get worse unless 'everyone' takes action. Ditch Google. Ditch Microsoft. Ditch Amazon. Ditch Apple. Ditch Meta.

It's hard, I know, but every small switch made makes a big difference.

#Google #Microsoft #Apple #Amazon #Meta #USBigTech #BigTech

What's your favourite authenticator app?

#2FA #OpenSource #authenticator #apps #EULogin #MicrosoftAuthenticator #Google #Microsoft

#Google will now disclose which ads are made with #AI - https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/09/google-will-now-disclose-which-ads-are-made-with-ai/ #adtech

HORRIFIC: Waymo robotaxi kidnaps and imprisons teenagers

This story is much worse than I realized. Those drinking teenagers who were shooting Orbeez from a Waymo were not just reported to the police, Google/Alphabet literally kidnapped them, locking them helplessly in the vehicle, until police arrived. This is a scenario I predicted years ago, robocars kidnapping passengers and taking them against their will to "authorities". Imagine what Trump's DOJ would do with this power.

Despite the fact that these teens were engaging in low level misbehavior, Google/Alphabet is NOT supposed to be an arresting agent of the government. What if one of those teens had suffered a medical emergency locked in that vehicle? THIS IS HORRIFIC.

https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/waymo-car-delivers-misbehaving-teens-california-police/UCOGYIJRHJG2LMHYWJQ3PH7VEY/

#waymo #google #alphabet #robotax #kidnapping

#Meta conducted a secretive program that directed hundreds of contractors to pose as children while bombarding its competitors’ #AI models with disturbing prompts ranging from suicide to cannibalism.

Internally known as “#Cannes,” the project, run by Meta contractor #Covalen, targeted #OpenAI’s #ChatGPT, #Google’s #Gemini, and #Character.AI chatbots using throwaway under-18 accounts.

Prompts focused on suicide and self-harm, eating disorders, and sex or romance, all written from the perspective of a child.

Wanna know where some child porn is coming from? #Zuckerberg is building it in to every AI he can pay to touch.

Eat the rich. Kill the #AIs. #Luddite the data centers.
https://www.wired.com/story/meta-contractors-pretending-to-be-teens-chatbot-testing/

I'm a Google Workspace admin, and a team member sent me a screenshot showing that a message they wanted to send was being blocked because it violated an organizational policy-- which was news to me-- I hadn't put in place to block messages based on their content.

Turns out Google Workspace now warns by default when the message content mentions gender identity.

#google #privacy #politics

Alt...

Screenshot of Google Workspace content rules, Gender Identity among them.

If you have a Google Workspace account, you could test to see if the rule in place for you by trying to send a message to your personal email address with a gender-related phrase or word you want to test to see if it's blocked to find out more detail what would be blocked and allowed by the rule.

#google #privacy #uspol

#Google will of course claim this is for security reasons, but they are now laying off long time employees (10, 15, 18+ years), with an email message to their personal accounts and instant lockout from their corp accounts containing all their work email, documents, projects, etc. -- and ordered immediately off campus and told not to be seen on campus again for weeks or longer -- "your personal items will be shipped to you."

While one might be able to justify this level of security paranoia with temps or other short term workers, doing this to loyal employees who have been with the firm for many years stinks deeply and basically is evil.

#google

RE: https://mastodon.online/@9to5google/116851085037386770

I can’t wait for Google to tell me that my door can no longer lock or unlock because “it has become increasingly challenging to continue to update these products given the early hardware. So we made the difficult decision that… [they] will no longer receive software updates. You will no longer be able to control them remotely…”

https://web.archive.org/web/20250425171221/https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Blog/Support-changes-to-our-earliest-generation-Nest-Learning-Thermostats/ba-p/713068

Internet-connect smart home products were a mistake. These devices should have always been local, peer-to-peer like Zigbee.

#SmartHome #Google

Google has spread malware infecting more than four billion Android computers on the planet

https://f-droid.org/2026/07/01/adv-malware.html

#Google #malware #attack #vector #trojan #horse #InfoSec

My USB port is dying on my current #Android phone. I bought a replacement body, but #Google has now made the whole rooting process significantly higher stakes by introducing a "fuse" that's intended to prevent downgrading, which means I'm that much more likely to accidentally brick my phone.
Between that, and the Chrome #AI model imposition, and their bullshit about disabling sideloading (yes, I know about the developer option, that's bullshit too), I am significantly regretting how much time and energy I'm forced to invest these days just to have a modicum of control over what is nominally my own damn phone.
Trying to muster the give-a-shit to tackle switching to #GrapheneOS, but really what I just want is Android 13ish without any of the mandatory upgrade nagware. But, of course, that doesn't make money for Google. And they actively want me to fuck right off anyway:

"This isn’t an accident. This is the result of two decades of deliberate, calculated effort by the largest technology companies on earth to turn users into consumers, instruments into appliances, and technical literacy into a niche hobby for weirdos. They succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. Congratulations to everyone involved. You’ve built a generation that can’t extract a zip file without a dedicated app and calls it innovation."

https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/the-slow-death-of-the-power-user/

#enshittification

If you missed this:

"Socket’s Threat Research Team analyzed two browser extensions operating under the VPN Go: Free VPN branding, one listed on the Chrome Web Store and another listed on Mozilla’s Firefox Add-ons marketplace."

Socket: Chrome and Firefox Extensions Posing as Free VPNs Add Clipboard Stealers via Malicious Updates https://socket.dev/blog/chrome-and-firefox-extensions-free-vpns-add-clipboard-stealers @SocketSecurity #infosec #Chrome #Firefox #threatresearch #Google #Mozilla #VPN

For the 5th time this month, Google marks us red for alleged malware they cannot even name. Can someone please shut that automatic bullshit generator down, please?

Btw, if you're looking for how to disable that circus component in your Android browsers, see here for instructions: https://gitlab.com/-/snippets/4909577#notes-on-how-to-disable-google-safebrowsing-in-browsers-on-android

#Google #SafeBrowsing

Digital Sovereignty - will Ireland step up?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/30/ireland-big-tech-lapdog-eu-presidency-digital-sovereignty

#EU #DigitalSovereignty #TechBros #Apple #Amazon #Google #Meta #IT #Privacy #Media #Security

Does anyone know if the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on is trustworthy? https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout #Google #privacy

We had a guy to finish my Dad's house clearance this morning.

'Could you review me on Google?'

'I no longer have a Google account.'

He gave me a look as if I was from another planet. Shows how much that insidious US Big Tech firm is embedded in everything.

#Google #DeGoogle #BigTech

We have exactly 100 days left until our Androids become locked down worse than Apple phones

https://keepandroidopen.org

#Android #locked #down #Alphabet #Google #Enshittification

Anyone know what this #Google thing is? We do not work with Google so how are they injecting their code into our site? It’s not from us.

Alt...

Some code on a Lucire page, including: <iframe id="goog_plcm_frame" src="https://cm.g.doubleclick.net/partnerpixels?url=https%3A%2F%2Flucire.com%2Finsider%2F20260616%2Fparaiso-miami-swim-week-highlights-colour-and-pop%2F" style="display: none;"></iframe>

When was the last time you thought to yourself, or said to someone "Wow, #Google search results have gotten a lot better."?

Dozens walk out as Google boss addresses Stanford graduates

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx10gg2r2vo

#news #politics #uspol #uspolitics #ethics #corruption #ai #aislop #google

🚨 Google is now asking you to grant camera access and show your hands to prove you're a human?!

--> I am not a robot tests have officially gone to far.

Just when you think the Big Tech can't get more privacy-invading, it does! 🫣

#Google #verification #privacy

Alt...

Screenshot of a Reddit posted titled, "This is getting ridiculous" with a screenshot of Google's gesture with your hand verification system.