--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think anyone at Google feels…" description: "\"I don't think anyone at Google feels happy about it, but they've been in some sense, you know, enslaved to their business model, and so they have to sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/tim-wu-7845_advertisers_i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-hap_663134.png" --- # I don't think anyone at Google feels happy about it, but… ![“I don't think anyone at Google feels happy about it, but they've been in some sense, you know, enslaved to their business model, and so they have to satisfy their advertisers.” quote by Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/tim-wu-7845_advertisers_i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-hap_663134.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/tim-wu-7845_advertisers_i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-hap_663134.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/tim-wu-7845_advertisers_i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-hap_663134.png) > “I don't think anyone at Google feels happy about it, but they've been in some sense, you know, enslaved to their business model, and so they have to satisfy their advertisers.” [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tech companies prioritize advertisers over user happiness, feeling trapped by their own revenue model. **In simple terms:** Companies feel forced to please advertisers, not users. Key Takeaway Recognize and address the conflict of interest. Themes business advertising ethics technology power Mood critical concerned Type analytical critical When to use this quote - product design - marketing strategy - policy making - consumer advocacy Key Concepts surveillance capitalism corporate incentives user autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can companies realign incentives toward user satisfaction? - What alternatives exist to ad‑driven revenue? A Different Perspective Balancing profit and user well‑being is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-models/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think Google is the most successful attention merchant - profitable attention merchant in the history of the world, most successful advertising-only based company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-think-google-is-the-most-successful-attention-merchant-profitable/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Stop looking at the Web as merely a display opportunity and not a way to interact. That does not create a new business model,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/stop-looking-at-the-web-as-merely-a-display-opportunity-and-not-a-way/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [To me, the print business model is so simple, where readers pay a dollar for all the content within, and that supports the enterprise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/to-me-the-print-business-model-is-so-simple-where-readers-pay-a/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Movies you pay for - well, sometimes they throw some ads at the beginning now - but generally you pay for ads. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/movies-you-pay-for-well-sometimes-they-throw-some-ads-at-the/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [All business models have something challenging about them, but the problem with the attention merchant business model they have is they need to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/all-business-models-have-something-challenging-about-them-but-the/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Strategies are great, business models are great, but the reality is your music has to mean something to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brother-ali/strategies-are-great-business-models-are-great-but-the-reality-is/) [Brother Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brother-ali/) > [Pick something you are interested in, and keep applying a business model that includes Internet Marketing to make it global, get thousands of leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-repchuk/pick-something-you-are-interested-in-and-keep-applying-a-business/) Tracy Repchuk > [Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-the-internet/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [The utility of the robot needs to come first. It's business model over technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/the-utility-of-the-robot-needs-to-come-first-it-s-business-model-over/) [Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/) > [The business model piece is we're always talking about competing more effectively. If you're starting a company or career you don't want to compete.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/the-business-model-piece-is-we-re-always-talking-about-competing-more/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [The exploitation agenda advocated by liberals is modeled after the dependency-inducing design of the drug dealer's business model: "We'll supply the first hit for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-mcglowan/the-exploitation-agenda-advocated-by-liberals-is-modeled-after-the/) Angela McGlowan > [“structure of the social division of labor. Many firms and industries must make fundamental changes to long-held business models in order to adapt. Further,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/structure-of-the-social-division-of-labor-many-firms-and-industries/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [The problem with Wal-Mart is that it's a business model premised on offering the customer low prices at any cost - any cost to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-featherstone/the-problem-with-wal-mart-is-that-it-s-a-business-model-premised-on/) Liza Featherstone > [As business models evolve, as the way you distribute content evolves, as the ability to do things online changes in terms of pricing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-kotick/as-business-models-evolve-as-the-way-you-distribute-content-evolves/) [Bobby Kotick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-kotick/) > [In my experience, in the real-estate business past success stories are generally not applicable to new situations. We must continually reinvent ourselves, responding to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-mori/in-my-experience-in-the-real-estate-business-past-success-stories-are/) [Akira Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-mori/) ## More by Tim Wu > [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [When you pay for stuff, it has more of your interests in heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/when-you-pay-for-stuff-it-has-more-of-your-interests-in-heart/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“JUST WHAT IS GOOGLE? In 1902, the New York Telephone Company opened the world’s first school for “telephone girls.” It was an exclusive institution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/just-what-is-google-in-1902-the-new-york-telephone-company-opened-the/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“When we speak of living environments and their effects on us, then, we are often speaking too broadly—of the city, the countryside, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/when-we-speak-of-living-environments-and-their-effects-on-us-then-we/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Now, he doesn't control the media, but Donald Trump has been incredibly successful in having his face appear everywhere. You cannot go a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/now-he-doesn-t-control-the-media-but-donald-trump-has-been-incredibly/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [The best antidote to the disruptive power of innovation is overregulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/the-best-antidote-to-the-disruptive-power-of-innovation-is/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“In 1956, two psychologists, Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, would conclude that television’s representation of celebrities was carefully constructed to create an “illusion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-1956-two-psychologists-donald-horton-and-richard-wohl-would/) [tim wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“Markets are born free, yet no sooner are they born than some would-be emperor is forging chains. Paradoxically,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/markets-are-born-free-yet-no-sooner-are-they-born-than-some-would-be/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [I want to say, however, one thing our media in America has done which didn't happen in other totalitarian states is it has very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-want-to-say-however-one-thing-our-media-in-america-has-done-which/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Advertising just keeps getting heavier and heavier and heavier. It doesn't have any natural limit, and we haven't found the place for the limit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/advertising-just-keeps-getting-heavier-and-heavier-and-heavier-it/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [I wish more of the web had stayed nonprofit. But the advertising model took over and I think has delivered us to where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-wish-more-of-the-web-had-stayed-nonprofit-but-the-advertising-model/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [There's always people - it doesn't take many - who have a different psychological makeup than most of us who really get joy out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/there-s-always-people-it-doesn-t-take-many-who-have-a-different/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [In the media, traditional media like print, we had boundaries. You know, we had spaces that ads didn't leave. They stayed where they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-the-media-traditional-media-like-print-we-had-boundaries-you-know/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Google - and some of the other sites, YouTube and, you know - Google has an amazing search engine. The map product is incredible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-and-some-of-the-other-sites-youtube-and-you-know-google-has-an/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [One thing that all the totalitarian states did was make the great leader's face everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/one-thing-that-all-the-totalitarian-states-did-was-make-the-great/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) [Explore all 87 Tim Wu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) ## More Advertisers quotes > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [The consumption of alcohol is increasing among youth. Targeting young audiences, advertisers portray beer and wine as joyful, socially desirable, and harmless. Producers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/the-consumption-of-alcohol-is-increasing-among-youth-targeting-young/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [Advertisers now have a highly targeted opportunity for aligning their brands alongside the entertainment experience people are enjoying on YouTube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hurley/advertisers-now-have-a-highly-targeted-opportunity-for-aligning-their/) [Chad Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hurley/) > [In the old days, advertisers ventured on their own opinions. The few guess right, the many wrong. Those were the time of advertising disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/in-the-old-days-advertisers-ventured-on-their-own-opinions-the-few/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [There are all kinds of people who continue to be largely ignored by advertisers, whose lives largely go unseen. They deserve their moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/there-are-all-kinds-of-people-who-continue-to-be-largely-ignored-by/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [As you start to see more respected advertisers coming in and looking at esports, you're going to find that there's a lot of interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/as-you-start-to-see-more-respected-advertisers-coming-in-and-looking/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [People are looking for original content in many different places, as are advertisers. This takes us into a whole new ballgame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-zucker/people-are-looking-for-original-content-in-many-different-places-as/) [Jeff Zucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-zucker/) > [The next time you see John Stossel or Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, these flat-Earthers, these corporate toadies, lying to you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-next-time-you-see-john-stossel-or-glenn-beck-or-rush-limbaugh-or/) [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/) > [Denunciations of the manipulativeness of advertisers can unfortunately all too easily be turned on their heads into denunciations of the gullibility of consumers. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/denunciations-of-the-manipulativeness-of-advertisers-can/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [“Robbed of a rapt audience, advertisers know that influencing how you spend what to do while depends on having some control over how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-carlson/robbed-of-a-rapt-audience-advertisers-know-that-influencing-how-you/) [Greg Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-carlson/) > [So the first things that you see when you look up something on Google could be dependent on the amount of advertising or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/so-the-first-things-that-you-see-when-you-look-up-something-on-google/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Experience has taught me that advertisers get the best results when they pay their agency a flat fee. It is unrealistic to expect your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/experience-has-taught-me-that-advertisers-get-the-best-results-when/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Commercial television has lowered the general standard of TV in an endeavour to get millions and masses of people to watch the advertising. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-robens-baron-robens-of-woldingham/commercial-television-has-lowered-the-general-standard-of-tv-in-an/) Alfred Robens, Baron Robens of Woldingham > [Let's face it, we're skunk drunk and it's because of money. It's almost like we all need to enter Betty Ford Clinic 2.0 together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rubel/let-s-face-it-we-re-skunk-drunk-and-it-s-because-of-money-it-s-almost/) [Steve Rubel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rubel/) > [I don't think the advertisers have any real idea of their power not only to reflect but to mold society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/i-don-t-think-the-advertisers-have-any-real-idea-of-their-power-not/) [Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/) Browse all 108 Advertisers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think anyone at Google feels happy about it, but they've been in some sense, you know, enslaved to their business model, and so they have to satisfy their advertisers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tim Wu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-happy-about-it-but-they-ve-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advertisers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-happy-about-it-but-they-ve-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/tim-wu-7845_advertisers_i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-hap_663134.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/tim-wu-7845_advertisers_i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-hap_663134.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/tim-wu-7845_advertisers_i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-hap_663134.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't think anyone at Google feels happy about it, but they've been in some sense, you know, enslaved to…” — Tim Wu", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tim Wu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't think anyone at Google...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-happy-about-it-but-they-ve-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-don-t-think-anyone-at-google-feels-happy-about-it-but-they-ve-been/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```