I've never seen companies do more user- and employee-hostile shit than in the last couple of years.
These companies, who stayed afloat because almost everyone worked from home during the pandemic and got shit done while millions of humans died, are now trying to say WFH doesn't work. Let me just check your earnings reports. Oh look, billions and billions of dollars per quarter while you lay off staff to bump your bottom line.
Google is a huge backer of Firefox financially. Some say it's to avoid getting sued for monopolistic practices, not just for being the default search engine. I'd be extremely surprised to hear they blocked the browser they fund.
When I worked at Amazon, Cory Doctorow came to my office (we shared it with Audible) to give a talk about his book, and host a Q&A. He said that he publishes his audiobooks as albums on Amazon Music because that supported DRM-free playback when Audible didn't.
He signed my Kindle with the phrase "If you can't open it, you don't own it" and drew a skull and crossbones.
Hard to argue with him. Glad I don't work for Amazon any more.
I have no idea, but I'm grateful for a step in the right direction. It feels like there haven't been many of those in recent times.