> I also don't understand why people aren't more upset about the privacy issues.

Because nobody is forcing you to take a Waymo? I dont think it is as hard to understand.

Its like saying "You dont understand why people arent more upset about spicy food because your stomach cant handle it.."

> your voice, "private" conversations.

Waymo microphones are only activated when you contact support.

truly not trying to be snarky here but i don't understand why you would place this level of trust in an Alphabet Inc brand.

Of all the organizations with access to my data (e.g. ISP, social networks, cellphone service provider, current US government, etc.), I absolutely trust Google the most.

Do you think Google is lying about the microphone?

> I absolutely trust Google the most.

why?

robust culture of data protection because of lots to lose

here's why i don't think that holds water:

i no longer believe a company of alphabet's size cannot weather a "controversy" around surreptitious data collection. too many people accept this possibility as a matter of course.

beyond PR, alphabet, like every other company at or near its size:

    * has obviously bribed the current administration
    * they can afford a relative slap on the wrist should any financial penalty be imposed
    * and of course, NSA letters continue to allow the federal government to receive whatever data they wish to ask for

> I also don't understand why people aren't more upset about the privacy issues.

I think a lot of people are starting to realize that despite years of doom-and-gloom finger wagging about privacy, their lives have never actually been negatively impacted by the horrors of targeted ads and, if anything, are materially improved (free internet search engines, free email, free social networks, and so on).

It recently became very real for a lot of people. The US government is buying that harmless advertising data to target, locate, and arrest/deport people. If I was an immigrant of any legal status, I would now absolutely think twice about providing a real name or address to any online service. Any benign good-faith "its only for ads" argument has been destroyed within the last year. GrapheneOS/Librem/Pursim should start advertising heavily in immigrant communities.

This also intertwines with the coordinated ID push for many social media networks. It builds an effective framework to target anyone. Trump casually designates people "terrorists" already.