A journalistic research on Google and Google's role in Switzerland. In collaboration with the online news magazine Republik and the research collective WAV
Zurich is now Google's second-largest location - but what exactly does the tech giant do here?
While the EU imposed a record fine of 4.1 billion euros on the company in September 2022 for violations of antitrust law, there is hardly any criticism of Google in the second most important location country.
The series of articles "Do not feed the Google" on Republik.ch is a joint journalistic research by Dezentrum, the online magazine Republik and the research collective WAV about Google and Google's role in Switzerland.
In six parts, Republik reporter Daniel Ryser and Dezentrum, with the help of experts from the USA, Holland, Germany and Canada, reveal what Google really is - apart from a search engine with a friendly, colourful logo, offices with slides and an old promise never to be evil.
In three further parts, WAV and Republic reporter Adrienne Fichter trace how the love affair between Switzerland and Google came about. How Google came to Switzerland, how the company lobbies here and how politicians welcomed the corporation with open arms.
It is very important to take a closer look, to inform, to show alternatives! Thank you in advance, I am also very curious about the series, which I will follow attentively and critically.
Republik Reader
Episode 1: When Google attempted a coup d'état
Image: Derek Shapton, Republik.
Tech activist Bianca Wylie led the resistance against Google's billion-dollar plans to privatize an entire neighbourhood in Toronto - and democracy along with it.
José van Dijck and Cory Doctorow decipher how Google siphons data even from classrooms and created "the world's online infrastructure" - despite antitrust laws.
This shows - as in many places - that self-responsible action alone is not enough, but that we have to solve the problem as a society.
Republik Reader
Episode 3: The demystification of Google
Photo: Mark Davis, Republik
Stanford professor Adrian Daub wrote a book about Silicon Valley. His view behind the revolutionary façade of Big Tech shows how reactionary ideology is above all for profit.
This series of articles should be read and discussed in schools and parent forums. - Absolutely. Besides that: Urgently also in politics, in every parliament; urgently. There is still so much knowledge missing about IT!
Discussion between two Republik readers
Episode 4: When ethical values are only a fig leaf
Illustration: Adrià Fruitós, Republik
Timnit Gebru was the highest-ranking Black woman at Google, she was supposed to name problems - when she also did this in relation to racism, she was fired.
An isolated case that reveals a problem with democracy: Did Google data of an employee of the University of Fribourg end up with a US secret service, although there are no criminal proceedings against the man?
'Do not feed the Google': The title of this series of articles is to be understood as a call to action. Among others, for those who commission websites, not only companies, but also authorities, politicians, NGOs.
Republik Reader
Episode 6: Into battle on a robot horse
Andy Müller-Maghun (left, photo: Joan Minder, Republik) and Bruce Schneier (right, photo: Tony Luong, Republik)
Andy Müller-Maguhn and Bruce Schneier analysed the documents made public by Edward Snowden for the media. What did they learn about Google's war business?
I gulped a few times when I read this article... but I was very happy to see Shoshana Zuboff, Lina Khan, Margret Hodge, who found a clear language for something 'women don't know anything about'.
Republik Reader
Episode 8, 9 and 10: Google in Switzerland and in Zurich
For episodes 8, 9 and 10, Republik teamed up with WAV, an independent Swiss research collective.
Thank you for the series. Now it's our turn. I can vote for a government. Self-appointed order-makers like Google don't make me a voter, they vote for me.
Republik Reader
Google Series Podcast: Why is everyone so secretive?
Republik reporter Daniel Ryser in conversation with Balz Oertli from WAV Kollektiv and Ramona Sprenger from Dezentrum.
In a multi-part series, the Republik reports on the tech company Google and its Swiss branch. In the podcast, the authors tell us how they went about their research.
In February 2023 the Great Google Gala took place at the Neumarkt Theatre. Sascha Ö. Soydan read passages from the Republic series "Do not feed the Google". Andy Müller-Maguhn reported on how we can liberate the internet and Jacqueline Badran spoke about Google as a curse that is settling over the city of Zurich.
Photo: Hannah Gottschalk
The event was recorded as a livestream:
Thank you very much for this very interesting series. It reinforces my aspiration, which I have been pursuing for some time, namely to become more independent of Google. And I have to say: It's wonderful to live with less Google.
