2 ms·
Gmail has always been an ad vehicle first and foremost. When it launched in 2004, Google was reading all your emails so they could target ads. This was entirel
by pavlov 4y ago
Gmail has always been an ad vehicle first and foremost.
When it launched in 2004, Google was reading all your emails so they could target ads. This was entirely public knowledge and there was debate about whether it’s a good idea to give a tech company that kind of access, but hey, they promised to Do No Evil and had a colorful logo so it was all fine.
They finally stopped the practice 13 years later [1], but it shouldn’t be a surprise that Gmail’s product design is driven by the needs of ad display and data collection.
[1] https://www.fastcompany.com/4041720/heres-why-it-took-gmail-13-years-to-stop-scanning-your-email-to-target-ads https://www.fastcompany.com/4041720/heres-why-it-took-gmail-...
- jeffbee 4y ago> Gmail has always been an ad vehicle first and foremost. I don't think that's really true. The original point of gmail was to get users to log in, so they would get better search quality. Before gmail there was no reason to log in to Google at all.
- pavlov 4y agoIs the point of getting users to log in to give them better search results or better targeted ads? My impression is that the two have always gone hand in hand at Google.
- chankstein38 4y agoI know this isn't necessarily relevant but as an old person when I saw your >2004 and then >13 years later my brain laughed like "ahaha no way it's been 13+ years since 2004" Nope. Brain. Sorry. It's been 19 :( lol