Skip to content

And I love the people there. Sergey Brin and Larry Page…

“And I love the people there. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are cool. But I'm terrified of the next generation that takes over. A benevolent dictatorship is still a dictatorship. At some point people are going to realize that Google has everything on everyone. Most of all, they can see what questions…” quote by Jacob Appelbaum
Download Open image
“And I love the people there. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are cool. But I'm terrified of the next generation that takes over. A benevolent dictatorship is still a dictatorship. At some point people are going to realize that Google has everything on everyone. Most of all, they can see what questions you're asking, in real time. Quite literally, they can read your mind.”

Jacob Appelbaum

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker admires tech founders but fears future surveillance, warning that even a benevolent dictatorship erodes privacy as data collection enables near‑mind‑reading.

In simple terms: Tech admiration clashes with privacy dread.

Key Takeaway

Guard against unchecked data power.

Themes

privacy surveillance technology trust power

Mood

cautious critical concerned

Type

warning philosophical political

When to use this quote

  • online behavior
  • government policy
  • personal data protection
  • public awareness

Key Concepts

surveillance capitalism digital authoritarianism data ethics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do we balance innovation with privacy?
  • What safeguards can prevent data misuse?
A Different Perspective

A benevolent dictatorship may still abuse power despite good intentions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Jacob Appelbaum

Explore all 5 Jacob Appelbaum quotes

More Asking quotes

Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes