Google added to Chromium 43.x a new add-on called "Chrome Hotword Shared Module" without source code. At first run, it is automatically downloaded and installed without any prompt. After this installation [it] is only available at chrome://voicesearch/ and is not shown in the extensions menu and by default the user is not able to disable or uninstall it. This add-on can record audio any time since is linked to the Ok Google feature ( https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2940021?hl=en [support.google.com] ).
Sources: https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=500922 and http://www.ghacks.net/2015/06/19/googles-in-hot-water-after-dropping-binary-code-in-chromium-for-linux/
(Score: 2) by zeigerpuppy on Saturday June 20 2015, @10:15AM
That's a difficult question. I lost faith in them when they killed projects like Wave. However, the rot had probably set in far before then. It looks like they were well and truly compromised by 2009 if the PRISM timeline is anything to go by
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jun/15/nsa-covert-surveillance-trap [theguardian.com]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Saturday June 20 2015, @11:14AM
I think there are a few other breakpoints that might be interesting:
2000 "Don't be evil"
2001 Hiring Schmidt
2004 IPO (pubic share offering)
2005 The New York Times and others suggesting they now are evil
Seems like 2001-2004 did something bad to the company behavior.