The Biz of Coding

Don’t be Evil! — How big brands manage to hide truth from consumers

by Ujwal Tickoo on March 11th, 2006

(This post continues from my previous post on Google’s gaffes.)

Lack of consumer awareness about privacy issues with desktop search does not reduce the responsibility of Google. Several people smoke even when a cigarette box shouts loud and clear that smoking is injurious to health. Obesity problems resulting from greasy fast food consumption (and infamous lawsuits) are well known. Yet people continue to eat Burger and French fries. Why? Because cigarette advertisements depict smokers effortlessly seducing desirable women. But they don’t splash films of cowboy types suffering from the debility caused by chain smoking. McDonald’s advertisements show happy smiling kids not obese people who have grown up on Mcdiets!

Consumer behavior is very complex. It responds to deep emotional Branding. And even when the Brand Promise is not fulfilled by the Product — it takes a long long time for a consumer to figure that out. The larger problem is that for an average consumer understanding the intricacies of software behavior is very difficult. If everyone uses Google Search then it must be good is how average internet surfers would choose a search engine and desktop search software.

It is quite possible that Google does not intend to misuse the personal information it gets from its consumers. But does that stop an evil smart techie or a malevolent group/individual holding political/civil authority from getting the saved consumer information that is with Google? The line between not intending to do evil and becoming a channel for someone else to do evil is very thin. Google needs to apply its search-genius to deliver alternative and safer approaches to personalization.

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POSTED IN: Desktop, Internet, Privacy, Search, Software