This is a story that’s been rotating through the media since ChatGPT first released.

I have an unpopular opinion about this headline after seeing the media cycle repeatedly downplay/ignore what Alphabet has been doing in response to OpenAI: Google the search engine is not in direct competition with ChatGPT, but Gemini is, and Alphabet is smart to keep simpler/time-tested search functionality central to Google rather than react strongly and scrap the keyword-based search bar that users understand are comfortable using - especially older users, but I think most people are starting to discover they have a use for both search and LLM chats.

I think there are two product categories here, which first looked like they were going to converge in 2022-2024, but which are now slowly changing course as customers start to comprehend how both are necessary for different purposes.

When I make chats in ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude etc, I am starting to plan them longitudinally so that I can use them over and over for a specific project or query type.

When I turn to a search bar, it’s because I really want a proxy for a specific website or between me and whatever weird site has the answer to my specific question. It’s not that I want discussion and a chat about it, I just want Google’s card-like results with a website index I can read instead of that website’s stylized, animated web design on top or popups or malware.

Every time I get sucked into a chat with Bing CoPilot(ChatGPT) when I really only had a web search query, I regret wasting my time talking to the LLM. Almost as a reflex, I’ve started avoiding it for most things now.

I think they probably wake up thinking exclusively about how to increase their net worth, through politics and marketing, at the expense of low information voters.

No. Read closely. Both require it to be in the app.

It’s Apple Review Guideline 5.1.1:

(i) Privacy Policies: All apps must include a link to their privacy policy in the App Store Connect metadata field and within the app in an easily accessible manner…

For Android it’s in their User Data article:

Privacy Policy All apps must post a privacy policy link in the designated field within Play Console, and a privacy policy link or text within the app itself…

It is a requirement of both Android and iOS app stores to have a policy prominently displayed for users.

Oh yeah, valid point!

Try the Hogo mobile app - they will do some of these for you for free every month or pay a month and do removals on all the sites they cover, then discontinue.

I do not pronounce that part of a URL. Who still does that? Why would you need to do that?

Neither of those links contain information relevant to their privacy pro removal product, which only runs on your local device and is definitely not supported by advertisements.

However, I suppose I can see how you may not trust the brand due to their browser and search engine have integrated ad tracking.

I 2nd the DuckDuckGo recommendation.

The way their service works is the MOST private imo. Runs locally and shares minimal data during the takedown request process.

1. It is OK not to be happy all the time.

2. It is also OK not to be the best, or even to be the worst!

3. It is OK to acknowledge your behavior or thoughts are bad and to really experience your negative behaviors and thoughts - you can regret or feel sadness about them without looking away to escapism.

Finally, even if you are the worst among your peers, at least you aren’t as bad or sad as characters of old fashioned tragedies and cautionary tales which are meant to give kids intuitive understanding of the three principles above.

When you have privacy settings, what you really have is a lie.

It starts out with good intentions, like those in this post, but eventually everyone forgets that the platform still sees your posts and does not give a shit about selling them.

I would rather acknowledge from the very beginning that this entire system is not private, so there is never such a misunderstanding.

Everyone should post and comment with caution, just like you use caution with what you say in public places.