- identify the most important facts surrounding the case

- identify the key issue or issues

- specify alternative courses of action

- evaluate each course of action

- recommend the best course of action

- explain the next steps to implement the course of action chose above.

CASE 10 Google: The Drive to Balance Privacy with Profit 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, government censoring, and anticompetitive behavior. For instance, the European Union levied a $2.7 billion fine against Google for violating European antitrust laws./ 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 best companies to work for. However, privacy has become a major ethical issue for Google. For instance, Internet searches made by users are recorded forever. Google claims that after a certain amount of time the information cannot be linked to the person who made the search, but in some cases the information can be traced back to the user. Another example discussed is that of self-censorship in China, which conflicts with Google's corporate principles. The tracking of users is another privacy issue that arose in some of Google's products, namely GPS tracking on the Android mobile phone and Internet. Privacy has become such a major issue in Europe that Europe adopted a "right to be forgotten" law in which citizens can successfully petition Google to remove personal content that is deemed no longer relevant, excessive, or inadequate. If Google refuses, the issue can be taken to a local data protection authority. In each of these instances, Google has claimed that privacy is a serious matter. However, privacy incidents have continued. For instance, users found that when they joined Google Buzz, their contact lists on their Gmail accounts were transferred to Google Buzz and made public. This sparked investigations by regulators and resulted in mandatory privacy audits for Google. This case therefore gives students a unique look into how a company struggles to be an ethical organization and yet still faces a number of ethical issues, particularly in an industry where there is not yet many government regulations determining how marketers can use or collect information online