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Google - Do Evil as you see fit

May 27, 2008 · Posted in India portals 

Google’s “Do No Evil” mantra would need no introduction to most of you. For those of you, who need to know more about their mantra and its origins, there are hundreds of online articles that explain the same.

While Google has enjoyed immense PR and popularity riding on the back of this mantra, some of its recent actions dont necessarily abide by this “Do No Evil” philosophy. First there was the China censorship, then was the furor related to self promotion of Google products in search results and then Google revealed details about an Orkut user to Brazilian authorities.

In a similar recent incident, Google revealed details about an Orkut user to Indian authorities, which resulted in his arrest. The man was found guilty of writing hate content in the “I hate Sonia Gandhi” community on Orkut.

Ok, I understand. In order to operate and abide by Indian penal laws, they were obligated to reveal the details of the user to the Indian authorities. India is too crucial a market for them and being a little evil helps them keep the truce with the Indian legal system.

But when I read about Google’s counterpoint to the $1 billion lawsuit brought on by ViaCom, I was appalled & shocked by the sheer double standards that Google chooses to operate by. As per Google, Viacom’s lawsuit

“threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment and political and artistic expression”

What the fuck ? You seek refuge of “political expression“and “threatens legitimate exchange of information” to fight a lawsuit. And then you turn in those same folks who are expressing themselves on Orkut ?

Google is acting like a self serving, selfish, manipulative, evil bitch. And apparently, this isnt the very first time they’ve resorted to such hypocritical behavior. I dont think this will be their last either.

Shame on you Google. Take a note or two from RIM, for that matter - at least they have the balls not to rat out on their users.


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10 Responses to “Google - Do Evil as you see fit”

  1. tech2blog on May 28th, 2008 5:07 am

    yes
    its true

  2. divakar on May 28th, 2008 5:14 am

    Hey Pranav,
    Good for read, but was not expecting this article to feature on http://www.startupdunia.com

  3. Ryan George on May 28th, 2008 6:17 am

    Hi Pranav,

    I beleive you’ve strongly gone overboard with your criticism of Google.

    The keyword to look out for here is ‘legitimate’. As long as expression you make is within the realms of decency, it’s ok…but the moment one tries to tamper with these norms, they need to be reprimanded.

    You yourself go on to give the reason for Google’s reason for the disclosure. India is too big a business for Google when it comes to Orkut & no able businessman at that will let go of it.

    After all it’s plain economics…right??

  4. Saad on May 28th, 2008 7:59 am

    Pranav, I think you have gone a lil overboard with your views on the blog. I was surprised to this on your blog. I agree to some extend on the double standards of google. But as Ryan pointed out there should be some thing which ran behind the screen which resulted in the disclosure of Orkut profiles.

  5. pranav on May 28th, 2008 8:59 am

    guys,

    If you felt I went a little overboard, it is possible. I just feel very strongly about such privacy issues. Imagine if tomorrow, Google turns in your details to the authorities for some stuff you might write on Orkut.

    What pisses me more is the double standards. You quote things to fend off a $1 billion lawsuit, but easily disregard them when and as needed ?

  6. Rabi on May 28th, 2008 9:47 am

    I think pranav, to some extent you are correct. But the point is, usually the tag lines such as ‘don’t be evil’ came when Google was a startup and it had an idea which it wanted to implement as a free source of info. So it was a gud market strategy to put up tag lines such as this, which offcourse offended Microsoft. Now Google is so big and powerful that it can do anything (like any big business but unlike some others as u pointed ITM), to realize its true dreams!
    I’m also a bit disappointed by the way Google has behaved but I hope in the future they would be more sensible regarding their core issues.

  7. Amit on May 28th, 2008 4:33 pm

    Very well said. I think you haven’t gone overboard at all. Companies get big and then the only motive remains is to stay on top, NO MATTER WHAT.

    I liked that you pointed out RIM as its doing a good thing. However there is always that fine line between doing the right thing and being righteous. Terrorism versus giving up my privacy a little bit to control terrorism, I’ll prefer the latter.

    But with Google, the double standards are just outrageous and the fact is that they will continue to do it because they can!

  8. pranav on May 28th, 2008 5:07 pm

    A lot of people (Arrington included) are wondering if Google is getting too big.

    Google has started to dominate search to such an extent that it has people wondering - is Google becoming the next Microsoft ?

  9. Rabi on May 29th, 2008 2:45 am

    I Guess, if Android works in the desired way for google, then it would be their 2nd biggest innovation!
    One was enough to give Nightmares to Microsoft, 2nd one (if successful) may very well beat it!!

  10. WANDERER on June 28th, 2008 10:14 pm

    Finally, someone who has mentioned the obvious, Google, and all of it’s power. Just like the Firefox hoax, put down Microsoft until the sun comes up, but while you weren’t looking Google and Firefox grew so big that they dwarf Microsoft in comparison. Google has it’s fingers in everything now and that is a shame. Google will one day be the internet, operating system, iphone etc etc. so beware of what was once the good guy. As for Firefox, well it leaves me wondering especially with the new FF3. Microsoft invented windows and all things that run or ran on it, the little guy copied and is now the big guy.