Why Google Needs to Create their Own Commandments
Google is in trouble.
Co-founder Sergey Brin has admitted they may have compromised their morals by agreeing to censor Chinese search results. If you’re a believer in the freedom of information exchange you may already think Google has done evil. One of Google’s founding ideals was to “do no evil”, and yet, here they are.
I’m a firm believer that the best business practice is to be radical. Take a stand for what is right, and you can never lose. Google has amazing potential to do great work in human rights, providing equal to access all information for all people, and profiting from the infrastructure for global uncensored information.
Think, Google. Which will be more profitable? Assisting a repressive government with a horrible human rights record, or taking a stand and becoming a beacon for the internet’s ability to stand up to abuse of power?
I suggest Google implements a set of commandments so everyone knows what constitutes “Evil” for a search engine. Here are my suggestions:
- Never Censor Results
- Never Reveal Individual’s Identities
- Never Reveal Individual’s Search History
- Never Reveal Individual’s Emails
- Never Keep Records Governments Could Abuse
- Share with People Potentials for Abuse
- Help People in Repressive Governments
- Make Government Requests Public
- Assist Open Source Software
- Give Back to Your Users
The world needs radical companies. Google, are you a radical company, or are you another multinational bowing to the needs of repressive governments for the right price? Will you be a positive influence on a progressive society, or will you contribute to its downfall? Decide. Your future depends on it.
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June 8th, 2006 17:15
The part about helping people in a repressive government wouldn’t be a good idea. I know it sounds good but they really need understand the governments policys.
But I do like the part about helping open source software.
Station17.org “How do you Ubuntu?”
June 9th, 2006 05:20
How do those Commandments do anything for Google’s profit margin? That’s the end of any discussion if they don’t help google….just reality.
June 10th, 2006 04:58
Here’s an email I wrote to Google dated February 2nd, 2006
“I’ve been reading a lot about Tibet since I’m traveling there next year, and the fact that Google is blocking information about Tibetan independence is certainly not in line with making the worlds information accessible.”
June 10th, 2006 20:02
Josh,
That’s a great idea, and I would love to start a petition to encourage Google to put into practice their ideal of “Don’t Be Evil”. I don’t think it would be effective though, because Google is 100% controlled by the two founders. They have 67% of the votes through questionable Class B shares, and have their own agendas to push. I’m convinced Google was secretly pushing for an end to net neutrality. Think about it. Ending net neutrality raises the cost of entry to be the next Google. They’re ensuring their future. Brin showing up to congress last minute in a t-shirt and jeans and wondering why no one would listen to him about neutrality is a ploy. He knows how lobbying works in the US, and if he really stood to loose from the current bill he would have made a much more effective move to protect his BILLIONS.