Google’s former head of international relations voiced concerns Thursday about the company’s business dealings abroad and recommended it face greater oversight from the government.
Ross LaJeunesse, who left Google in May after more than a decade, wrote in a blog post that he became alarmed and concerned about the American company pursuing projects in countries with poor human rights records contrary to the tech titan’s longtime mantra, “Don’t be evil,” including a censored search engine in China code-named “Dragonfly” and deals with the government of Saudi Arabia.
“To me, no additional evidence was needed that ’Don’t be evil’ was no longer a true reflection of the company’s values; it was now nothing more than just another corporate marketing tool,” Mr. LaJeunesse wrote on the blogging site Medium.
“No longer can massive tech companies like Google be permitted to operate relatively free from government oversight,” Mr. LaJeunesse added, noting that “Dragonfly” was shut down shortly after facing scrutiny from Congress.
In a statement, a Google spokesperson told The Washington Times that the company has “an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts.”
Mr. LaJeunesse previously served as an aide to then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, prior to joining Google in 2008. He is currently running in Maine as a Democrat, aiming to unseat moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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