It's a bit facile to say that it's evil for Google to watch us. Yes, a company can abuse the data in its possession, and yes, all that data in one place makes

It's a bit facile to say that it's evil for Google to watch us. Yes, a company can abuse the data in its possession, and yes, all that data in one place makes the government lick its lips in anticipation. But don't forget, Google does a lot of wonderful things. Millions (billions?) of people's lives are enriched by Google's products, and most of those people (certainly those of us on HN) know that Google needs some information about us in order to deliver the things it delivers. The startups that will change the world in the next decade or two are likely to be built with the help of things Google makes — and which Google cannot make as well without some personal data about its users. So yes, companies now know more about you than they did 20 years ago, and we should certainly note the dangers of that. But don't ignore the huge value of what you get in return.