p2pnet - rss feed: Google ‘Don’t be Evil’ amended
p2pnet news | Freedom:- Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” motto, “first uttered by Googler Paul Buchheit (now founder of FriendFeed) in 2001, has long been the pillar of their self-imposed code of conduct,” says TechCrunch, going on:
“It was amended somewhat in 2006 when CEO Eric Schmidt, under fire for entering the Chinese market with censorship restrictions, said ‘We actually did an evil scale and decided not to serve at all was worse evil’.”
But it wasn’t the first item to be significantly amended.
Here’s what Google’s help entry on censorship once said >>>
Google does not censor results for any search term. The order and content of our results are completely automated; we do not manipulate our search results by hand. We believe strongly in allowing the democracy of the web to determine the inclusion and ranking of sites in our search results. To learn more about Google’s search technology, please visit ….
But following the China censorship debacle, it was amended to say >>>
It is Google’s policy not to censor search results. However, in response to local laws, regulations, or policies, we may do so. When we remove search results for these reasons, we display a notice on our search results pages. Please note: For some older removals (before March 2005), we may not show a notice at this time.
p2pnet was the first to point out Google was censoring news from within mainland China by excluding certain sites.
“DIT’s DynaWeb is a free proxy network built to circumvent internet blocking in China and Xia told p2pnet that on September 15, DynaWeb revealed Google’s news results for China were different than those conducted in the US,” we posted, going on >>>
“We were able to confirm this report through proxies in China,” he said.
Google spokeswoman Debbie Frost told p2pnet, “to create the best possible news search experience for our users, we sometimes decide not to include some sites, for a variety of reasons”.
Does ‘not include’ amount to ‘block’? And does ‘block’ amount to ‘censor’?
Google justifies the fact it ‘omits’ some sites in mainland China by saying:
“[…] it’s clear that search results deemed to be sensitive for political or other reasons are inaccessible within China. There is nothing Google can do about this,” and:
“We … considered the amount of information that would be omitted. In this case it is less than two percent of Chinese news sources. On balance we believe that having a service with links that work and omits a fractional number is better than having a service that is not available at all.”
Logic suggests the most sensitive sites would be the ones ‘omitted’. Otherwise, why bother?
However, TechCrunch notes the Do No Evil motto is still displayed prominently on the Google Investor Relations site, “and the company appears to be supporting it up 100%”.
But, “Not so, apparently,” says the story, going on >>>
Last week, however, Google’s Marissa Mayer said “It really wasn’t like an elected, ordained motto” during an interview in Australia, adding “I think that ‘Don’t Be Evil’ is a very easy thing to point at when you see Google doing something that you personally don’t like; it’s a very easy thing to point out so it does get targeted a lot.”
There’s a certain disconnect between paragraph two above and what Marrissa says in paragraph 3.
This is most likely not a precursor to an official move away from the motto. I imagine it’s little more than a venting of a frustration that Google continues to be held to a promise made six years ago, when they were under significantly less scrutiny than they are today. Google can’t ditch the motto (the press would eat that up), and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to live up to it.
What can they do? Not much. They made this bed. It’s too bad they couldn’t get Buchheit to take it with him when he left to found FriendFeed.
Here’s what Do No Evil Google says about doing no evil >>>
Preface
“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 each other with 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: We hire great people who work hard to build great products, and it’s essential that we build an environment of trust - among ourselves and with our users. That trust and mutual respect underlie our success, and we need to earn it every day.
So, please do read the Code, and follow it, 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 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.
Who Must Follow Our Code?
We expect all of our employees and Board members to know and follow the Code. Failure to do so can result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment. Moreover, while the Code is specifically written for Google employees and Board members, we expect Google contractors, consultants and others who may be temporarily assigned to perform work or services for Google to follow the Code in connection with their work for us. Failure of a Google contractor or consultant or other covered service provider to follow the Code can result in termination of their relationship with Google.
What If I Have a Code-Related Question or Concern?
If you have a question or concern, don’t just sit there. You can contact your manager, your Human Resources representative or Ethics & Compliance. If you want to remain anonymous, you can make a report of a suspected violation or concern through the Ethics & Compliance Helpline.
No Retaliation
Google prohibits retaliation against any worker here at Google who reports or participates in an investigation of a possible violation of our Code. If you believe you are being retaliated against, please contact Ethics & Compliance.
Now you know 
TechCrunch - Google’s Don’t Be Evil Not “Ordained Motto” Says Marissa Mayer, April 15, 2008
wasn’t the first item - Google China’s internet blacklists, February 6, 2006
first to point out - Google China censors news, September 17, 2004
not to include some sites - Google China censorship: more, October 2, 2004
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