Google effectively transitioned into several business units under the parent company Alphabet last Friday, as previously reported by HNGN. The goal is to create a holding company that will allow the effective management of Google's ever expanding businesses.
One of the most conspicuous changes was how the company's corporate motto, "Don't be evil," is now absent from the newly published Code of Conduct. It was the very first sentence in Google's original Code of Conduct, and it was first introduced as part of the company's core values around 2000. It was further reinforced by the 2004 Founder's Letter sent during the search giant initial public offering. "Google users trust our systems to help them with important decisions," the letter said.
Thereafter, the code underpinned Google's culture for years, as its founders ensured that it was also hard to take out. This did not mean, however, that it was inviolate, as recent developments show.
Instead of the old slogan, Alphabet now exhorts its employees to "do the right thing - follow the law, act honorably, and treat each other with respect." Other strong language that defined Google's operations in the past are also absent, according to The Verge. These include the line that said, "everything we do in connection with our work at Google will be, and should be, measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct."
