https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/15/alphabets-sidewalk-labs-want...
https://betakit.com/ann-cavoukian-still-has-problems-with-si...
https://betakit.com/sidewalk-labs-announces-it-will-no-longe...
They would cede a part of proposal, propose another, only to have some sort of new outcry.
From Ars' article published today https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/05/alphabets-sidewalk-l...
> But Sidewalk Labs’ vision was in trouble long before the pandemic. Since its inception, the project had been criticized by progressive activists concerned about how the Alphabet company would collect and protect data, and who would own that data
> The partnership took a bigger hit last summer, when Sidewalk Labs released a splashy and even more ambitious 1,524-page master plan for the lot that went well beyond what the government had anticipated, and for which the company pledged to spend up to $1.3 billion to complete. The redevelopment group wondered whether some of Sidewalk Labs’ proposals related to data collection and governance were even “in compliance with applicable laws.” It balked at a suggestion that the government commit millions to extend public transit into the area, a commitment, the group reminded the company, that it could not make on its own.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/02/googl...
https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/google-fiber-to-pay-nearly-4-m...
Google Fiber prepares to pull the plug on Louisville customers tonight, the tech company has agreed to pay Metro government $3.84 million to fix damage to city streets, Mayor Greg Fischer’s said Monday.
The payments, to be made over 20 months, will cover removing fiber cables and sealant from roads, milling and paving streets “where needed” and removing Google’s above-ground infrastructure, according to a news release from Fischer's office.
this presumes in some sense that they are not already.
That's not what happened though. Google was free to continue the project but decided not too, using Covid-19 as a fig leaf.
I agree with the thrust of your comment (we need more experimentation with cities, not less) but this is Google doing what Google does: changing it's mind and abandoning projects.