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Google’s repellant action of boycotting CNET for
a perfectly legitimate story that highlighted Google’s ability to penetrate information layers will leave a lasting
smudge on the company. It’s like a little piece of garbage rotting in the summer sun, its owner refusing to clean it
up.
Today Mike Langberg posted a
column in which he quotes
Eric Schmidt from the May 19 press day at the Googleplex: ”When we talk about organizing all the world’s
information, we mean all. And we mean all people. And we mean universally accessible.” Just over a month later
Elinor Mills wrote The
Article that got CNET damned by Google, in which, to demonstrate privacy concerns surrounding Google, she pointed
to several documents revealing business and personal information about Schmidt—all excavated via Google’s search
engine.
If all of CNET is responsible for the behavior of one reporter, why isn’t all of Google responsible for the behavior
of its search engine? In other words, didn’t Eric Schmidt violate his own privacy? Isn’t he responsible for the
behavior of his search engine?
Google’s banning action is not only deeply ironic, it is petty and hypocritical. Though it has been requested, Google
cannot issue a comment on this mess; there is nothing redeeming to say about it. Google must simmer silently in shame
as observers gasp in disbelief that the company could be so tone-deaf to PR repercussions. But Google could correct the
matter, and it’s amazing to me that somebody didn’t step out from on high and issue a quick, resolving statement along
these lines: “We regret the confusion; obviously it is not Google’s policy to punish media outlets for covering our
products and demonstrating their power. We appreciate CNET’s fine coverage of Google through the years. Furthermore, we
are aware of, and deeply concerned with, privacy issues every day here at Google.” Appointing a privacy officer
wouldn’t hurt, even as a gesture.
This and other PR blunders are made worse by the absurd “Don’t be evil” thing, which should never have been written
into the IPO documents. It was a childish mistake made by two kids thrust into a new realm. It was tantamount to saying
“We’ll never change,” perhaps the most foolish statement a company can make on the eve of going public. Here again,
there’s nothing to be done. Google talked itself into a morality corner, just as it painted itself into a no-win corner
over CNET. Google can still extricate itself productively from the CNET fiasco, but only if it gets some nimbleness and
does it now.
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