Google is known by most people no matter if you use it frequently or not. It helps the world find facts, websites, and activities to do in the local area. It is widely thought that Google only helps and is a beneficial, reliable resource. However, maybe Google is not as helpful as they appear. The unknown artist of this painting challenges the helping nature of Google through graffiti art that uses symbols and colors to express a darker truth hidden in Google. The artist makes the viewer question whether Google even wants to help us or do they have a personal agenda they are trying to fulfill. 

At first the viewer may not see anything wrong with the picture. When I was first viewing the art I thought it was just the word “Google” painted on a wall. But once the painting is thoroughly looked at the o’s disappear. Where the o’s typically resided there are now surveillance cameras. By placing security cameras as o’s, the artist has made his first attacking move on Google. His first attack is simply that Google is watching us. Google constantly takes into account what you search to help give suggestions when searching for other things. It can give you recommendations for other sites by linking your past searches. This can be seen as a good thing as it may appear helpful to be given this resource to find new things that will interest the searcher. However, the artist makes Google appear to have a darker purpose behind watching us. By having two surveillance cameras watching like eyes it gives the picture a sinister feel. The idea that someone is watching is a looming feeling. Thinking that past searches are hidden from view is wishful thinking, because Google actually still keeps this information and it still appears in their livestream broadcast of browsing searchers (“Google Trends-Hot Searches” 1). Granted it does not show everything, but the fact that they are watching and taking into account what browsers are searching has a daunting affect.

The artist makes “Google” appear even more unfriendly through the way he painted the graffiti. It seems a little messy with paint running and dripping off of the bright letters. It is not fully put together and nice looking. At first the painting looks happy with the bright colors and familiar logo, but looking further and seeing the drips it makes it appear a little rougher and not as well put together as the Google logo. The paint goes outside the lines of what a Google logo should look like. The artist is showing that Google may appear like they are happy and helpful, but when you look internally into their company there are many flaws and corruptive things happening. We see the pretty, perfect Google who wants to help all browser’s needs, but the artist wants the observer to question how helpful and perfect Google actually is. He wants to challenge the eyes that are watching typing hands filling up the search bar. 

The artist continues to question Google through this painting by using color to his advantage. He uses Google’s colors and did not technically pick them out but he uses them to his own advantage in getting his point across. We see the two cameras. One is red and the other is yellow. One is dripping and the other has perfect lines. Yellow is a color that makes others smile and is notably a “happy” color and this color is paired with the put together camera. Red is a darker color that generally symbolizes evil, blood, or death. It is no coincidence that the Red lens is dripping and it seems to be dripping all over the lens of the camera. By putting these two different colors and associating them with the look of the cameras a final push is made in the artist’s argumentative painting. Google has one eye that is watching with pure intentions; perfectly put together and helpful when considering other reliable searching options. This Google eye knows its boundaries within the lines of watching and does not step outside of those lines as to overstep any wrong doings. Then there is the red eye that appears to have blood running down its lens. This Google is blinded by the blood, their own personal agenda, when watching browsers. This lens does not stay inside the lines and challenges what is morally right in maintaining their searchers privacy. By putting these two lenses side by side the artist is comparing the two-faced side of Google. Google is not as helpful as they want you to believe. 

The artist makes his point very clearly through this artistic graffiti expression. But, the question still remains of what immoral activity Google is partaking in. The activity can never fully be known unless the artist reveals him or herself and fully comes out with a detailed explanation. There have been many speculations, one including that the activity is an attack on Google’s new privacy policy, but a recent article by US News could give better insight into a possibility. According to the news source Google has been tracing people’s searching history and if something comes across as a frequented search they may censor the information if it could have a “significant effect on public opinion” (Epstein 1). Google should not be denying the right to any information. This may not be the two-faced action that Google is behind in the artist’s painting, but the facts reflect much of what the painting argued. privacy and the freedom to explore is a right but by using Google the artist warns that the browser is being limited and censored in a way that should not be legal.
