Google: Evil OK, in China

Cross-posted at the Supernova Conversation Hub:

Google is bringing the issue of protecting human rights at the cost of the company's market share to a shareholder vote - as reported by Joseph Hunkins at WebGuild.  The two proposals up for a vote are that Google would strictly control censorship and data sharing to protect human rights, and that Google would establish a Human Rights Committee to monitor these issues.  Google recommends no to both proposals, and they'll be able to point to the fact that their shareholders voted these proposals down as an excuse for not doing them.

The approach is an attempt to justify Google's capitulation to anti-democratic policy from countries like China - behavior that they've been called to task for engaging in because of their "do no evil" mantra.  The sad thing, to me, is that giving a question like this to shareholders: "Should we do the right thing even though it means making less money?" is giving it to the wrong party to decide.  Shareholders don't say no to profits. 

It's the users who should be asked, and the users who can decide to abandon the Google ship if they see objectionable, hypocritical behavior.  Insofar as a choice to deny human rights may alienate Google users, the stock prices could fall on a "no" vote -- but most of the time issues like human rights in far-away countries can't compete with great technology and brand.  An effective boycott is unlikely, a yes vote is unlikely.  Perhaps "do no evil" and "make money in China" are fundamentally incompatible.  Perhaps a mantra change to "do no evil except in countries led by repressive dictators" is in order?