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However, many of these "hobbies" actively support ad traffic. Chrome and Android ensured Google's high market share for search & maps while delivering additional ad revenue channels.

By the number of projects most are side projects that make a loss, but the really big ones have a big contribution to Google's success (via ads).

I remember Thiel repeatedly made that point.

I would say that it's a search company that monetizes via advertising. The adwords product is so bad that you'd have a hard time arguing that they care that much about ads.