All these companies care about is money.
This illusion has been sustaining a brand loyalty for several years while getting away with privacy contradicting moves, and always being defended by its loyalists. I say loyalists instead of customers to make a distinction.
What's happening now is the moves are becoming increasingly egregious, and what we're seeing is a slight awakening to the reality of the situation, that the 'stance' had been nothing more than a grab for user control (in turn to sustain profits)
At this point it's either abandon ship, or make petitions and opinion pieces such as TFA.
Apple was different, and it all stemmed from Jobs. The tech world lost a lot more than just innovative products when he passed. Cook has done an incredible job at getting Apple to where they are as a company, but they've truly lost their way in the meantime.
Have you considered the possibility that your opinion is that of a minority.
In fact, I'd daresay the opinion you've expressed is "that of a minority".
(All of this is leaving aside the fact that you apparently didn't read my very brief comment before responding to it, in which I talk about massive amounts of consumer surplus being created)
People here talk about DDG but the search quality has never been there for me.
That is not the problem, at least as far as I am concern. They have no problem with making money. We dont live in a communistic world.
I have a problem with them pointing their fingers and using media to start a cultural war against others, claims to have moral high ground with their PR spin all while sucking up as much money as possible against their own so called values.
This is exactly the same as Google in early 00s. The we dont do evil and self claim righteousness. Or Hypocrite.
So dont cry foul when all the other companies are working together against you.