How exactly would they stop themselves from being listed on Google? A right to be forgotten request? Their decision was to ditch Google Analytics, not to disappear from the web.

Robots.txt. I think it's interesting that you say that removing yourself from Google is the same as "disappearing from the web" implying that the web is Google. It's not. Perhaps they should use alternative forms of outreach, something I am considering with my company.

Google is not the web, you are correct; but for all intents and purposes, it's the web's phonebook. You remove yourself from the phonebook, you make it very difficult for people to find you, or your business.

There are other ways to promote a business outside of search engines. The point is you can't say you have "ditched Google" while still being part of their systems that collect user data.

Should they block Google's public DNS servers from resolving their domain, too? Good grief.

For a less obnoxious answer: if users choose to use Google, it's not Spideroak's problem. By dropping GA, they're no longer forcing users to be subject to Google's tracking.

robots.txt. Still, I see no reason to remove the site from Google search.

How does being listed on a search engine affect their users’ privacy? The users chose to use Google themselves, they could well use something like DuckDuckGo if they wanted to. They’re avoiding 3rd party tracking on their users, not boycotting Google.

This has nothing to do with search. This has 100% to do with site tracking with Google Analytics.

I don't understand your complaint. 1) They freely admit that they use Google products, and 2) Google search is a way to be discovered by curious users. SpiderOak is looking to avoid giving excessive user data to Google, which is a totally separate issue.