Google Has FAILED to NOT BE EVIL

"Don't be evil" is the formal corporate motto (or slogan) of Google.[1] While there have been unsourced allegations that Google dropped this motto, particularly in light of privacy violations, [2] it remains at the very head of Google's Code of Conduct.[citation needed] It was first suggested either by Google employee Paul Buchheit at a meeting about corporate values that took place in early 2000[3] or in 2001[4] or, according to another account, by Google engineer Amit Patel in 1999.[5] Buchheit, the creator of Gmail, said he "wanted something that, once you put it in there, would be hard to take out", adding that the slogan was "also a bit of a jab at a lot of the other companies, especially our competitors, who at the time, in our opinion, were kind of exploiting the users to some extent."[3] While the official corporate philosophy of Google[6] does not contain the words "Don't be evil", they were included in the prospectus (on Form S-1) of Google's 2004 IPO (a letter from Google's founders, later called the "'Don't Be Evil' manifesto"): "Don’t be evil. We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served — as shareholders and in all other ways — by a company that does good things for the world even if we forgo some short term gains."[7] The motto is sometimes incorrectly stated as Do no evil.[4][8]

While many companies have ethical codes that govern their conduct in contract, Google claims to have made "Don't Be Evil" a central pillar of their identity[9] as part of their self-proclaimed core values.[10] The words: "Don't be evil" form part of the sixth point in these Core Values, and in full states: "Do the right thing: don't be evil. Honesty and Integrity in all we do. Our business practices are beyond reproach. We make money by doing good things."[6][9]

Don't Be Evil

Google is a relatively young corporation founded back in 1998 and started with what now seems a naive vision to "not be evil". If you had asked me ten years ago what I thought of Google I would have said mostly positive things about them and their mission statement. Now if you asked me I would say they are a huge part of the problem with this world. They are part of the social engineering problem we have in this country where the big corporations control the flow of information and what stories we are 'allowed' to see.

The Google search engine results are completely manipulated to bring you sanitized results for your searches. YouTube controls what can be posted and what independent stories can be seen. Your data is mined to the Nth degree then used to manipulate you. Your private email is routinely send to the Government for inspection and storage. Censorship is a huge problem with any Google product.

Google had the opportunity to be a force for independent media, thought and freedom. They could have been a corporate leader is how data is collected and how it is used, but failed to take advantage of the opportunity. It pisses me off that a company that promised us to 'not be evil' has ultimately become the poster child for what is wrong with big corporations in America. I suppose I am ultimately more disappointed than angry. They could have been so much more than big profits, manipulation and censorship.

a reply to: Metallicus

I started divorcing myself from google when they were involved in the egyptian revolution and organizing protest through social media. I trust them as far as I can spit into a hurricane.

Google sort of even sounds evil. I remember when we were not supposed to google at others.

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: Metallicus

I started divorcing myself from google when they were involved in the egyptian revolution and organizing protest through social media. I trust them as far as I can spit into a hurricane.

I meant to be more angry, but I am almost numb to this crap now.

Business as usual in the "new America".

a reply to: Metallicus
Pretty much as soon as anything becomes a Corporation it's intentions are Evil or it won't survive.

Incremental corruption. Always. Prevails.

It's not exactly a new observation and it's not a hard lesson to remember, yet here we are again.
Tear 'em down. Let someone else have a shot at doing good in the world instead of tightening a grip on our throats.