Keep in mind that the list linked is specifically for investors, with criteria like "Long-term investment value" and "Ability to attract and retain talented people". Also the data collection was complete by January, which makes it almost a year old at this point.

Google has had four lawsuits which look bad for them make Hacker news or the reddit front page in the last year, which I can't imagine is good for their PR. Anecdotally, I also see a lot of people in tech where I work growing a disdain for them, including myself. I went so far as to buy a new phone to put LineageOS on a few weeks ago because I don't like the direction the company is heading.

Your source being investor centric aside, IMO a lot of the leftover public goodwill is probably a result their discarded slogan / philosophy of “Don’t be evil”. Just as Google’s behavior has changed over time post motto, so will the general public’s perception. It’ll catch up sooner or later

Admired by whom? Fortune magazine editors? Those aren't one of the relevant categories.

Well, it wasn't the opinion of the editors, but of business leaders; as for the general public, Google still ranks very high: https://www.thebalance.com/retail-brands-with-the-best-reput... and https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2017/02/28/the-w...

   2015 - #10
   2014 - #14
   2013 - #4
   2012 - #2
   2011 - #1

This looks like a collapsing reputation to me. Perhaps it hasn't fully collapsed yet, but you can see how big a hit it took recently.

Yeah, at this rate they might only be the twentieth most popular brand by 2020! The horror!

This really counts as collapse to you? How many companies would kill to be that widely recognized?

Sagging, maybe. Caused by collapsing moral fortitude, maybe.

But even being on the list means it hasn't collapsed.

... among readers of Fortune magazine.