Google Can Officially Be Evil
“Don’t be evil.” has been part of Google’s motto since 2001, at the time the upstart search engine was trying to be a bit edgier than previous titans of the Internet, like AOL and Netscape However, According to Gizmodo reporter Kate Conger, who used Joy Reid's favorite website, the Wayback machine, at some point between late April and early May of 2018, except for one small reference, “Don’t be evil” was removed from Google's official code of conduct. A version of the code’s preface archived on April 21 opens with these two paragraphs: “Don’t be evil.” Googlers generally apply those words to how we serve our users. But “Don’t be evil” is much more than that. Yes, it’s about providing our users unbiased access to information, focusing on their needs and giving them the best products and services that we can. But it’s also about doing the right thing more generally – following the law, acting honorably and treating co-workers with courtesy and respect. The Google Code of Conduct is one of the ways we put “Don’t be evil” into practice. It’s built around the recognition that everything we do in connection with our work at Google will be and should be, measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct. We set the bar that high for practical as well as aspirational reasons: Our commitment to the highest standards helps us hire great people, build great products and attract loyal users. Trust and mutual respect among employees and users are the foundation of our success and they are something we need to earn every day. The revised document, which ditches “Don’t be evil,” opens this way: The Google Code of Conduct is one of the ways we put Google’s values into practice. It’s built around the recognition that everything we do in connection with our work at Google will be and should be, measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct. We set the bar that high for practical as well as aspirational reasons: Our commitment to the highest standards helps us hire great people, build great products and attract loyal users. Respect for our users, for the opportunity and for each other are foundational to our success and are something we need to support every day. So please do read the Code and Google’s values and follow both in spirit and letter, always bearing in mind that each of us has a personal responsibility to incorporate and to encourage other Googlers to incorporate the principles of the Code and values into our work. And if you have a question or ever think that one of your fellow Googlers or the company as a whole may be falling short of our commitment, don’t be silent. We want – and need – to hear from you. The very end of the code includes the following line: “And remember … don’t be evil and if you see something that you think isn’t right — speak up!” The “Don’t be evil” was probably removed due to how evil Google was during the 2016 Presidential Election. You would think Hillary Clinton losing would have straightened out Google's algorithms, but you would be wrong... Hence the dropping of "Don't be evil."
Google is under fire from regulators and a range of critics — with some calling for it to be broken up. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin recently urged the Justice Department to review the power that firms like Google have over the American economy, Bloomberg reports. Related Story: Congress Tells Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey You Better Testify Read the full article
