Google silently removes its "Don't be evil" motto after almost two decades
Google's motto "Don't be evil" has been around for so long and was deemed important enough to even get its own Wikipedia page. However, all good things come to an end, and this iconic slogan seems to be a thing of the past now.
According to the page saved by the Wayback Machine internet achive on April 21, 2018, the first paragraph of Google's code of conduct preface was the following: “Don’t be evil.” Googlers generally apply those words to how we serve our users. But “Don’t be evil” is much more than that. Yes, it’s about providing our users unbiased access to information, focusing on their needs and giving them the best products and services that we can. But it’s also about doing the right thing more generally – following the law, acting honorably, and treating co-workers with courtesy and respect.
The updated version that is dated on May 4 does not contain the paragraph quoted above. On the other hands, there is still a trace of the old motto at the end of the new code of conduct. The final line of Google's official document reads the following: "And remember… don’t be evil, and if you see something that you think isn’t right – speak up!"
The "Don't be evil" motto opened Google's code of conduct starting in 2000. In 2015, when Alphabet was born, its code of conduct changed this slogan to "Do the right thing."
The most interesting part of the story is that Google's code of conduct says its latest update was performed on April 5, 2018. We will probably hear more about the removal of the "Don't be evil" motto in the coming months, because the company still has to issue an official statement about this move.