Google and its parent company Alphabet plan to stand even further away from evil and the perception thereof by mandating that its employees do the right thing.
The formation of Alphabet completed over the week, with the holdings company encapsulating the new Google and several other companies that once roiled around in the search engine company's belly. With subsidiaries now giving more autonomy outside of Google and under Alphabet's umbrella, the search engine company has refined its mantra.
Google's previous mantra was "don't be evil," which may seem honorable on the surface but falls short of a truly benevolent message. One can be complacent, neutral and self-serving without necessarily being evil.
But with Alphabet's newly published code of conduct, its board members and employees are expected to avoid both the appearance and impropriety of evil by doing the right thing.
"Employees of Alphabet and its subsidiaries and controlled affiliates ("Alphabet") should do the right thing - follow the law, act honorably, and treat each other with respect," states the code of conduct.
While Google's mantra has evolved, it held a positive interpretation of "don't be evil." While it may have realized now the ambiguity around the old philosophy, it interpreted "don't be evil" just as it does "do the right thing."
"Yes, [don't be evil is] about providing our users unbiased access to information, focusing on their needs and giving them the best products and services that we can," reads the previous code of conduct. "But it's also about doing the right thing more generally - following the law, acting honorably and treating each other with respect."
Announced back in August, the format of Alphabet gives Google more freedom to be more Google. The search engine company has shed business it said were "far afield" of Google's core products and divisions.
Business ventures such as Google's life sciences and urban development programs will be spun off into Alphabet, allowing Google to get leaner and more focused. But despite becoming more agile, the company will still try to focus on being good citizens.
"We rely on one another's good judgment to uphold a high standard of integrity for ourselves and our company. We expect all Board members and employees to be guided by both the letter and the spirit of this Code."
