Google's $32bn purchase of Israeli cloud security company Wiz is its most expensive ever acquisition
Google employees and human rights groups have raised concerns about the tech giant’s purchase of an Israeli start-up in an unprecedented $32bn deal.
Google on Tuesday announced the all-cash acquisition of Wiz, an Israeli cloud security firm which was founded by former members of Unit 8200, an elite Israeli army cyber-espionage and surveillance unit.
The deal comes with the Google already facing internal and external pressure over its controversial Project Nimbus contract, through which along with Amazon it provides cloud computing and AI services to the Israeli government and military.
A spokesperson for No Tech for Apartheid, a coalition of Google and Amazon workers campaigning against the companies' involvement with Israel, said Google was "playing with fire" by buying Wiz.
I'm still using Gmail, mostly cause of how much of a hassle it is to change to a new email address. Shit like this is really making me find motivation to switch.
When you do eventually switch, I'd recommend getting your own domain and using an email address at that domain, so that your email address becomes independent of your email provider. It will make it easier to switch again in future should you need to, because you can keep the same email address and use it with a new provider.
Don't feel like you have to race. It took about a year to shift e-mail addresses last time I did it. Keep the old one as a harvesting point until you move over what you want. Then just leave the old one around to use up space on Google's servers if you really want to softly be a dick. (They eventually close them after some period of inactivity.)
Basic steps for a slightly more thorough method that also preserves old e-mail:
Do a GDPR/Google data dump of your gmail to mbox file(s).
Turn off all mail rules on Gmail so everything just comes to the inbox.
You can forward to your new address if you want to, or, just let email collect in the old account and switch addresses from time to time as you use various services.
After a time, delete the account if you so choose, or leave it dormant until Google deletes it.