Google sparks outcry after dropping ‘Don’t be evil’ guidance

The company famously added the phrase to numerous internal documents, including its code of conduct, as it built an internet empire. How is dropping the motto affecting brand loyalty?

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

Google has dropped an unofficial slogan from its internal paperwork—and the reason has some consumers concerned.

The phrase “Don’t be evil” was a short, powerful slogan for the internet company that regulates the way many users interact with online content. However, the company is abandoning the phrase, albeit quietly.

Gizmodo reported:

“Don’t be evil” has been part of the company’s corporate code of conduct since 2000. When Google was reorganized under a new parent company, Alphabet, in 2015, Alphabet assumed a slightly adjusted version of the motto, “do the right thing.” However, Google retained its original “don’t be evil” language until the past several weeks. The phrase has been deeply incorporated into Google’s company culture—so much so that a version of the phrase has served as the wifi password on the shuttles that Google uses to ferry its employees to its Mountain View headquarters, sources told Gizmodo.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.