Google Ethical Issues
Google, like any other successful companies, deals with ethical issues on a day-to-day basis. Google’s corporate mantra simply put - “Don’t be evil” (Google), is what drives their corporate ethics in doing business. Being the data juggernaut that they are, questionable business ethics arise often in relation to privacy.
In 2007, Google’s controversy regarding Street View raised privacy and security concerns. Street View allows for high-resolution photos enabling you to explore 360-degree panoramic, street-level imagery of places once you type in the correct address. This could range from vehicle license plates, properties, people doing mundane activities, as well as people in compromising or out-of-context situations. And since Google’s Street View images were taken in public places (by Google Street View cars), they appeared to be on legal ground. But “just because managers aren’t breaking the law doesn’t necessarily mean they are being ethical” (Daft). A solid debate rose about the issue’s gray areas of free expression versus privacy. Google on the other hand, provided efficient compliance of removal of images in 24 hours after someone reports or deems a photo “objectionable”, or if someone doesn’t want to be included in the photo. But even with this kind of security measure, one cannot always guarantee that safety hasn’t been compromised yet in that 24-hr period. It also has a pixel-distorting capability but still failed to ensure identity protection for some license plates as it is oftentimes, still distinguishable. In 2008, a Pittsburgh couple filed suit against Google for invasion of privacy after photos of their home were published online by Street View.
The bigger concern came when Google's Street View cars have also been charged to collect unencrypted personal data from open WiFi networks. Initially, Google denied such allegations but after ample amount of evidence collected, Google acknowledged that, "in some instances entire emails and URLs were
In 2007, Google’s controversy regarding Street View raised privacy and security concerns. Street View allows for high-resolution photos enabling you to explore 360-degree panoramic, street-level imagery of places once you type in the correct address. This could range from vehicle license plates, properties, people doing mundane activities, as well as people in compromising or out-of-context situations. And since Google’s Street View images were taken in public places (by Google Street View cars), they appeared to be on legal ground. But “just because managers aren’t breaking the law doesn’t necessarily mean they are being ethical” (Daft). A solid debate rose about the issue’s gray areas of free expression versus privacy. Google on the other hand, provided efficient compliance of removal of images in 24 hours after someone reports or deems a photo “objectionable”, or if someone doesn’t want to be included in the photo. But even with this kind of security measure, one cannot always guarantee that safety hasn’t been compromised yet in that 24-hr period. It also has a pixel-distorting capability but still failed to ensure identity protection for some license plates as it is oftentimes, still distinguishable. In 2008, a Pittsburgh couple filed suit against Google for invasion of privacy after photos of their home were published online by Street View.
The bigger concern came when Google's Street View cars have also been charged to collect unencrypted personal data from open WiFi networks. Initially, Google denied such allegations but after ample amount of evidence collected, Google acknowledged that, "in some instances entire emails and URLs were