DontBeEvil
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Google will always do evil
One day in late April or early May, Google removed the phrase "don't be evil" from its code of conduct. After 18 years as the company's motto, those three words and chunks of their accompanying corporate clauses were unceremoniously deleted from the record, save for a solitary, uncontextualized mention in the document's final sentence. Google didn't advertise this change. In fact, the code of conduct states it was last updated April 5th. The "don't be evil" exorcism clearly took place well after that date. Google has chosen to actively distance itself from the uncontroversial, totally accepted tenet of not being evil, and it's doing so in a shady (and therefore completely fitting) way. After nearly two decades of trying to live up to its motto, it looks like Google is ready to face reality. In order for Google to be Google, it has to do evil.
Alphabet replaces Google's 'Don't be evil' with 'Do the right thing'
Google has long used the phrase "Don't be evil" as a sort of company motto, including it in the founder's letter for its IPO in 2004, and at the top of its Code of Conduct. The Wall Street Journal noticed that as a part of today's restructuring, Alphabet has exchanged that for something slightly more specific. The corporate code of conduct now entreats employees to "do the right thing – follow the law, act honorably, and treat each other with respect." It is unknown at press time if that includes a required viewing of Spike Lee's 1989 film. For Google employees specifically, the "Don't be evil" phrasing is still in full effect, so it's hard to see anything specifically changing as a result. Of course, some have mocked the giant for how close it does or does not stick to that adage, including when Steve Jobs reportedly called it "bullshit" in 2010. Of course, as the search giant worms its way into our photos, cars and even bodies, maybe being a little more specific about its intentions is a good thing. [Image credit: Moviestore collection Ltd / Alamy]
