tryinig to be a responsible internetist

I'll start this off by saying that I don't know a lot about "the internet" and "computers" in general.  I can check email, goof off on a couple of websites, but that's about all I use a computer for (well, some work stuff, but that doesn't matter here).  I was hearing a couple of nerds talking the other day about how google is screwing everyone over by keeping user's data or something like that.  It was way over my head...but then I started to think that, if there's a better alternative (as far as safety AND not being F'ed over by google and their evil plot for world domination), then I'd be a total idiot for not using that alternative.  So, people who know WAY more about computers than I do (7 year old kids, this also applies to me): should I stop using google?