On Google’s moral compass
Now that Google’s stand-off with the Chinese government is in its next round, the Guardian’s digital content blog ponders the necessity for search engines to adopt an ethical code similar to that followed by journalists.
“Traditionally, journalism informed people. Can we say that now search engines inform people, too, and should therefore commit themselves to the standards of media companies?,” asks PDA’s Mercedes Bunz.
She gets some interesting responses of different degrees of cycnicism from Clay Shirky, Ben Hammsersley and Dan Gillmor.
Somehow the idea of making search engines commit to ethical guidelines reminds me of the “levy” (post-crisis code for tax) on financial transactions that is currently being promoted by the French and German governments; a noble plan to protect the public from the consequences of the lucrative meddling with a global system that is is too complex to fathom even for those running it.
But, just like the global tax on financial transactions, a moral code for search engines is right up there with international action on climate change and equal rights: all good ideas that only have a marginal chance of becoming reality within the lifetime of anybody reading this somewhat jaded, but secretly hopeful little blog post.
Still, Google’s tussle with the Chinese is good news. I for one am grateful for any grand, expensive gesture that is not purely motivated by a balance sheet.
Tags: Ben Hammsersley, Clay Shirky, Climate Change, Dan Gillmor, ethics, global financial tax, Google, Mercedes Bunz, morals, The Guardian
