CASE 7
Google: The Quest to Balance Privacy with Profit
CASE NOTES FOR INSTRUCTORS
Google started off as an Internet search engine that found its success in the use of an algorithm that
ranked searches according to relevance. Since then Google has made a path for itself in other areas such
as social networking, advertising, and mobile phones. Because of Google’s unique position as the top
Internet search engine and because it has grown to be such a large company, it has had to deal with
several ethical issues such as copyright infringements, Internet privacy, and government censoring.
This case deals mostly with the privacy concerns that have become an issue for Google. It highlights
some of the ways in which Google is striving to be a good corporate citizen, including its wide-scale
benefits for employees and its sustainability initiatives. Google has consistently been ranked as one of the
QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION
1. Has Google implemented a strategy that serves all stakeholders?
Students’ answers will vary. It is impossible to please everybody, so more than likely there will be
some stakeholders that dislike Google no matter what. However, Google has done a good job of
meeting the needs of certain stakeholders like its employees. The corporate culture that Google has
2. How can Google respect privacy and yet still maintain its profitability?
Students might argue that giving up some privacy is the price users must pay in order to receive the
many benefits of using Google’s services without paying. Because Google relies on revenue from
advertisements, it is important that the company be able to collect information to help marketers
3. How will increasing global regulation of privacy affect Google’s operations?
Government regulations of the Internet would change the way Google does its advertising and would
greatly affect its profits. For instance, limiting the amount of information Google could collect or how
it can use this information might make it harder to target advertising or offer products based on
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
