When making decisions in large organizations, it is often
difficult to determine the ethics of a situation when faced with the opportunity
of gaining a large market share. Microsoft was faced with this situation in 2010
when Google announced it would no longer censor search results in China.
Bing, the search engine by Microsoft, then agreed to censor
search results after Google pulled out of China. The senior vice president of
corporate development and chief legal officer, David Drummond, expressed the views of
Google as being, "We want as many people in the world as possible to have
access to our services." (Gralla, 2011, p.18) This was in
response to the Chinese government's
censorship requirements that were causing services such as Gmail and Sarch to
be inaccessible to the Chinese people.
Google's decision to pull out of China on the grounds of not agreeing to censorship proves that they are not
willing to submit to laws which they believe are unethical in the area of
Information Technology.
In comparison, Microsoft
responded by saying, "Microsoft respects and follows the laws and
regulations in every country where we run business." (Gralla, 2011, p.18) This view is an indication therefore, of this company's
unwillingness to uphold basic human rights and political freedoms in order to
make a profit. (Gralla, 2011, p.18) This is perhaps at best, unethical, and at worst, criminal.
The varying ethical standpoints of Microsoft and Google have demonstrated to the public in a very clear way where each company stands.
It
appears that Google sided with the people of China, and Microsoft with an
authoritarian Chinese government. (Gralla, 2011, p.18) In the West, where basic human rights are
accepted and, for the most part, upheld, the actions of Microsoft in regards to
this China deal sits uncomfortably with many in the information technology industry.
Clearly ethics do, and should continue to, guide our decisions and actions in
information technology.
What Place Does Ethics Have in the Tech Industry?
Preston Gralla, Computerworld; August 8, 2011; 45, 14; ABI/INFORM Global, pg18.
Old Version
When making decisions in large organizations, it is often
difficult to determine the ethics of a situation when faced with the opportunity
of gaining a large market share. Microsoft was faced with this situation in 2010
when Google announced it would no longer censor search results in China.
Bing, the search engine by Microsoft, then agreed to censor
search results after Google pulled out of China. The senior vice president of
corporate development and chief legal officer, David Drummond, expressed the views of
Google as being, "We want as many people in the world as possible to have
access to our services." This was in
response to the Chinese government's
censorship requirements that were causing services such as Gmail and Sarch to
be inaccessible to the Chinese people.
Google's decision to pull out of China on the grounds of not agreeing to censorship proves that they are not
willing to submit to laws which they believe are unethical in the area of
Information Technology.
In comparison, Microsoft
responded by saying, "Microsoft respects and follows the laws and
regulations in every country where we run business." This view is an indication therefore, of this company's
unwillingness to uphold basic human rights and political freedoms in order to
make a profit. This is perhaps at best, unethical, and at worst, criminal.
The varying ethical standpoints of Microsoft and Google have demonstrated to the public in a very clear way where each company stands.
It
appears that Google sided with the people of China, and Microsoft with an
authoritarian Chinese government. In the West, where basic human rights are
accepted and, for the most part, upheld, the actions of Microsoft in regards to
this China deal sits uncomfortably with many in the information technology industry.
Clearly ethics do, and should continue to, guide our decisions and actions in
information technology.
