Google has attempted to live by its ‘Don’t be evil’ edict since the early days, but a new era and a new parent company means a new motto.
Following the completion of the restructuring that saw Google officially fall under the Alphabet umbrella, the Wall Street Journal discovered a new founding principle.
In the new corporate code of conduct (via Engadget), Alphabet employees are instructed to “Do the right thing.”
The full requirement tells Alphabeters (is that a word now?) “follow the law, act honorably, and treat each other with respect.”
See also: What is Alphabet? Why Google’s new parent company is big news
For those still working for the company’s Google arm, avoiding evil deeds will still be a requirement.
The ‘don’t be evil’ mantra has often been used as a stick to beat Google with, as its actions haven’t always reflected the principle.
Google’s questionable record when it comes to privacy and tax has often fallen short to say the least.
Alphabet’s ‘do the right thing’ motto blurs the lines a little bit. After all, a lot of evil deeds have been performed by people who thought they were doing the right thing.
Even these people probably think they’re doing the right thing…
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
