What Is Google and How Does It Affect You?
Google is the world’s most famous Internet search engine. It uses a proprietary algorithm to fetch and prioritize search results to deliver the most useful information to users. Its success has made it a household name and the word “Google” has even become a verb. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful, and its dominance has prompted concern over its influence over the flow of online content.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page founded the company in 1996 as a research project while studying at Stanford University, California. Their search engine BackRub was the first of its kind and used a novel approach to prioritizing Web pages based on their links rather than content or keywords. This led to more relevant results, increasing Google’s popularity quickly. By 2010 the company was ranked alongside technology giants such as IBM and Microsoft in market value.
In addition to its search engine, Google operates numerous other Internet services, including its social network Google+, email provider Gmail, and the video-sharing website YouTube. It also offers mobile operating systems and other software, such as the Chrome browser and Google Docs. Its physical products include the Pixel smartphone line, the Chromecast in-home streaming device, and the Chromebook laptop range.
The company makes its money by showing ads on its various services, as well as selling hardware to support those services. It has also acquired companies that help other businesses advertise online, including a company that allowed websites to display ads on their pages and another that helped advertisers target their ads to specific audiences.
During its growth, Google has also expanded into the realm of hardware and artificial intelligence. The company’s self-driving car project, Waymo, is a prime example. The company has test vehicles that are available to the public for ride-alongs and has begun to offer private, paid self-driving taxis.
The company has been criticized for its privacy policies and data collection, especially as it relates to location information. This has prompted some people to use VPNs or other methods to mask their IP addresses while using Google services, and there are also concerns about the security of Android devices. Despite these issues, the company remains one of the most popular and successful technology companies in the world. Its products and services have touched almost every aspect of modern life, and its presence is felt around the globe.
