Last week, The New York Times and The Guardian reported that Google knowingly underpaid temp workers , but decided not to fully correct the situation because it feared negative press attention. In , as Google prepared to go public, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin expounded on the motto in an interview with Playboy. The interview is excerpted in Google's prospectus filing. Brin: As for "Don't be evil," we have tried to define precisely what it means to be a force for good—always do the right, ethical thing.
Ultimately, "Don't be evil" seems the easiest way to summarize it. That attitude still resonates with Google's rank and file today. At the labor board trial, Sophie Waldman, one of the employees who was allegedly wrongfully terminated, said it's what attracted her to the company in the first place. Waldman said she kept the phrase in mind as she went on with her everyday work of trying to improve search results. Other employees also talked about the practical applications of the mantra, as opposed to just a pie-in-the-sky ideal.
Some people worry that Google, with its trillion-dollar valuation and headcount of more than , full-time employees, is moving away from that ethos. In , after Page and Brin created Alphabet, a holding company for Google, the phrase was moved from the beginning of Google's code of conduct to the end of it.
Critics saw it as a demotion of the principle, an afterthought in the last sentence of a 6,word document. The broader code of conduct for Alphabet makes no mention of the phrase. At least nine workers at Apple's key factory partner, Foxconn Technology Group, committed suicide in , prompting international outrage. After their shifts, employees lived in dirty dorms without showers or hot water. Apple isn't the only tech company to work with Foxconn or Catcher, and it isn't the only one accused of encouraging inhumane assembly lines.
In , the AP reported more than workers from a single Samsung production line had died or fallen seriously ill, many being diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and MS, despite being relatively young -- in their 20s and early 30s. Samsung has denied any involvement in the lethal trend. There's a simple reason major tech companies often look the other way after these scandals, brushing concerns aside as they continue to work with factories known for employing children and operating in barbaric ways.
It's necessity. In order to remain competitive, Apple needs million new iPhones with each updated model, and the most profitable way to make that happen is to partner with Foxconn or Catcher. In Apple's math, the bottom line outweighs the well-being of workers on the assembly line.
The people who actually work at Apple or any major tech company are not monsters. Ask any Apple employee about child labor in iPhone factories and they'll assuredly express disgust and outrage -- but the company itself is far more powerful than its individualized workforce.
Which brings us back to Google. Earlier this month, roughly a dozen employees quit over the company's involvement in Project Maven , a military program that aims to use AI systems to analyze drone footage.
Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all.
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today to help us keep our work free for all. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Google employees stage a walkout on November 1, , in New York, over sexual harassment. Bryan R. Next Up on Recode. The Latest on Vox. Hating work is having a moment By Rani Molla.
More on Future Society. Riding Dirty. Yesterday on the byte. Keep up. Subscribe to our daily newsletter to keep in touch with the subjects shaping our future. Topics About Us Contact Us.
0コメント