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inside reading 4, 8- google controversies

8- google controversies

When Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin began their quest for the perfect search engine at Stanford University in the mid 1990s, they had a lofty goal—to make all the information in the world available online for free. Within a few years, they had achieved much of that goal and were able to bring vast amounts of information to anyone with access to the Internet. "Google it" is now a common phrase in many of the world's languages.

Google has an unusual company motto: Don't be evil. Most people familiar with Page and Brin's achievements would likely agree that the two have improved the world and lived up to that motto. But Google's astounding rise from a start-up company working out of a garage to one of the most recognized brand names in the world has naturally attracted scrutiny. And there are many who have raised questions about the ethics and legality of Google's business practices.

One early complaint was "click fraud." Advertisers make bids to place ads along the top and

right-hand sides of Google search result pages. When potential customers click on an ad, Google collects a fee ranging from a few pennies to $30 or more, depending on how high the bidding went. Advertisers worry that dishonest businesses click on a competitor's ad to drive up their advertising costs. Non-Google websites can also cheat advertisers. To extend its advertising reach, Google allows websites to display Google ads and split the fee when a visitor clicks on an ad. Google prohibits website owners from clicking on an ad they host, but there is still room for mischief if a website owner uses different IP addresses to make fraudulent clicks. Google obviously wants advertisers to continue buying ads and recognizes that advertisers will need to lower their bids in order to offset losses due to click fraud. To reduce complaints, Google has continually improved its ability to spot fraudulent clicks and remove them before they are charged to the advertiser. But critics contended that Google did not make a big enough effort to police click fraud and made huge profits from these clicks.

The most complicated issue from a legal standpoint is copyright law. In the United States, for example, any book published after 1923 is protected by copyright laws. Printing and distributing copies of the work requires permission of the copyright owner, and copyright owners often demand a royalty payment. In 2004, Google began scanning and digitizing millions of books in order to host them online in a searchable format. The value of such an enterprise is undisputed. Scholars will have easy access to rare books and all books will be forever in print. Many authors believe Google Books will provide free publicity and a new avenue for sales. But others worry that Google will use their works without paying royalties. Google has addressed this fear by touting Google Books as a book marketing program, in which authors sell their works, not an online library. Google also allows authors to remove their books from Google Book Search if they wish. Despite these assurances, the legal challenges from authors and publishers continue. Google's acquisition in October 2006 of YouTube, the popular Internet video download site, also raised unresolved copyright issues that should keep courts around the world busy for years to come.

Many of Google's services raise privacy Issues. Gmail, Google's free email service, pays for itself by inserting click-through ads into emails that Gmail account holders receive. To target the ads toward the interests of the user, Google analyzes the content of incoming email to search for keywords that will trigger the ads. If these were generic ads placed in all emails automatically, few would complain. But scanning content strikes some as an invasion of privacy. Google defends the practice by saying that the emails are only read by computers, not people, for the purpose of ad placement and that many email services do the same thing in order to detect spam. Critics, however, feel Google should not analyze the email from non-Gmail accounts unless it gets the sender's permission first.

An even bigger privacy surprise for Google involved reaction to Google Street View. Tied to its Googte Earth and Google Maps services, Street View hopes to provide 360° photographs of every street in the world. Who could object to such an ambitious and amazing undertaking? Google soon found out when entire countries as well as individual citizens complained. Many people simply did not want to be in these pictures. Google naturally sought a technological solution— creating software algorithms that blur faces and car license plates. Several countries worried about security threats if bad guys had access to free pictures of every building.

Another fear is that governments can use Googte to invade privacy. Google has huge data collections that it uses to improve its searches and select ads. This information could potentially be seized by governments and analyzed at relatively little cost. In the

past, collecting data on, let's say, people who had read or purchased a controversial book would require an army of investigators to search through library records and bookstore sales. It is hard to imagine a government even bothering. But data mining through a single database could quickly yield leads if Google has access to library records and has copies of emails sent between online booksellers and customers.

As Google extended the scope of its operations overseas, questions concerning freedom of speech arose. In its early days, Google saw itself as operating outside of government control and offering an unrestricted freedom in finding information. But when Google looked to expand its Web services into China, Google faced its first decision with major political implications. Could Google accept restrictions imposed on political content by the Chinese government without compromising its values? Google did not want to lose the Chinese market and agreed to China's terms. It hoped to lessen criticism by better clarifying the meaning of its noble "Don't be evil" principle. As CEO Eric Schmidt tells it, Google used an "evil scale" to weigh its decision. Living with the Chinese government's restrictions is less evil than not serving Chinese users at all. And less profitable, critics might add. Google's decision led to bad press around the world and requests for hearings in the U.S. Congress. In 2010, controversy over apparent government hacking of Google accounts within China prompted Google to reduce significantly its presence in China. Google ended up losing most of the Chinese market while tarnishing its image.

Despite these legal and ethical issues, Google remains an extremely popular company. After all. most of its services are free, and the public appreciates the company's engineering genius. Yet some inside Google complain that a company that always looked ahead to see how it could improve the world has, to quote a Google engineer, started "chasing taillights." Google, it seems, did not foresee the rise of online social networks such as Facebook or Linkedln and worries these services will draw advertising revenue away from its search engine. Google wants to be in that market, but can it do so without chasing taillights? Larry Page and Sergey Brin want to use Google's immense resources and talents to design better, more profitable products, but others worry that the company will become self-protective and survive by crushing or absorbing innovative competitors. And that, they warn, would be...evil.


8- google controversies 8- google controversies 8- controversias en google

When Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin began their quest for the perfect search engine at Stanford University in the mid 1990s, they had a lofty goal—to make all the information in the world available online for free. Cuando los fundadores de Google, Larry Page y Sergey Brin, empezaron a buscar el motor de búsqueda perfecto en la Universidad de Stanford a mediados de los años 90, tenían un ambicioso objetivo: hacer que toda la información del mundo estuviera disponible en línea de forma gratuita. Within a few years, they had achieved much of that goal and were able to bring vast amounts of information to anyone with access to the Internet. En pocos años, habían logrado gran parte de ese objetivo y eran capaces de poner enormes cantidades de información al alcance de cualquiera con acceso a Internet. "Google it" is now a common phrase in many of the world's languages. "Búscalo en Google" es ya una frase común en muchos idiomas del mundo.

Google has an unusual company motto: Don't be evil. Google tiene un lema empresarial poco habitual: No seas malvado. Most people familiar with Page and Brin's achievements would likely agree that the two have improved the world and lived up to that motto. La mayoría de las personas familiarizadas con los logros de Page y Brin probablemente estarían de acuerdo en que ambos han mejorado el mundo y han hecho honor a ese lema. But Google's astounding rise from a start-up company working out of a garage to one of the most recognized brand names in the world has naturally attracted scrutiny. Pero el asombroso ascenso de Google desde una empresa emergente que trabajaba en un garaje hasta convertirse en una de las marcas más reconocidas del mundo ha atraído naturalmente el escrutinio. And there are many who have raised questions about the ethics and legality of Google's business practices. Y son muchos los que han planteado dudas sobre la ética y la legalidad de las prácticas empresariales de Google.

One early complaint was "click fraud." Una de las primeras quejas fue el "fraude del clic". Advertisers make bids to place ads along the top and Los anunciantes pujan para colocar anuncios en la parte superior e inferior de la página.

right-hand sides of Google search result pages. derecha de las páginas de resultados de Google. When potential customers click on an ad, Google collects a fee ranging from a few pennies to $30 or more, depending on how high the bidding went. Cuando los clientes potenciales hacen clic en un anuncio, Google cobra una comisión que oscila entre unos céntimos y 30 dólares o más, dependiendo de lo alta que haya sido la puja. Advertisers worry that dishonest businesses click on a competitor's ad to drive up their advertising costs. A los anunciantes les preocupa que empresas deshonestas hagan clic en un anuncio de la competencia para aumentar sus costes publicitarios. Non-Google websites can also cheat advertisers. Los sitios web ajenos a Google también pueden engañar a los anunciantes. To extend its advertising reach, Google allows websites to display Google ads and split the fee when a visitor clicks on an ad. Para ampliar su alcance publicitario, Google permite a los sitios web mostrar anuncios de Google y repartirse la comisión cuando un visitante hace clic en un anuncio. Google prohibits website owners from clicking on an ad they host, but there is still room for mischief if a website owner uses different IP addresses to make fraudulent clicks. Google prohíbe a los propietarios de sitios web hacer clic en un anuncio que ellos alojan, pero aún hay margen para la picaresca si el propietario de un sitio web utiliza diferentes direcciones IP para hacer clics fraudulentos. Google obviously wants advertisers to continue buying ads and recognizes that advertisers will need to lower their bids in order to offset losses due to click fraud. Obviamente, Google quiere que los anunciantes sigan comprando anuncios y reconoce que tendrán que reducir sus pujas para compensar las pérdidas debidas al fraude en los clics. To reduce complaints, Google has continually improved its ability to spot fraudulent clicks and remove them before they are charged to the advertiser. Para reducir las reclamaciones, Google ha mejorado continuamente su capacidad para detectar clics fraudulentos y eliminarlos antes de que se cobren al anunciante. But critics contended that Google did not make a big enough effort to police click fraud and made huge profits from these clicks. Sin embargo, los críticos afirmaron que Google no se esforzó lo suficiente por controlar el fraude en los clics y obtuvo enormes beneficios con ellos.

The most complicated issue from a legal standpoint is copyright law. La cuestión más complicada desde el punto de vista jurídico es la ley de derechos de autor. In the United States, for example, any book published after 1923 is protected by copyright laws. En Estados Unidos, por ejemplo, cualquier libro publicado después de 1923 está protegido por las leyes de derechos de autor. Printing and distributing copies of the work requires permission of the copyright owner, and copyright owners often demand a royalty payment. La impresión y distribución de copias de la obra requiere el permiso del propietario de los derechos de autor, que a menudo exige el pago de un canon. In 2004, Google began scanning and digitizing millions of books in order to host them online in a searchable format. En 2004, Google comenzó a escanear y digitalizar millones de libros para alojarlos en línea en un formato que permitiera realizar búsquedas. The value of such an enterprise is undisputed. El valor de una empresa así es indiscutible. Scholars will have easy access to rare books and all books will be forever in print. Los eruditos tendrán fácil acceso a libros raros y todos los libros estarán impresos para siempre. Many authors believe Google Books will provide free publicity and a new avenue for sales. Muchos autores creen que la Búsqueda de libros de Google les proporcionará publicidad gratuita y una nueva vía de ventas. But others worry that Google will use their works without paying royalties. Pero a otros les preocupa que Google utilice sus obras sin pagar derechos de autor. Google has addressed this fear by touting Google Books as a book marketing program, in which authors sell their works, not an online library. Google ha abordado este temor promocionando la Búsqueda de libros de Google como un programa de comercialización de libros, en el que los autores venden sus obras, y no como una biblioteca en línea. Google also allows authors to remove their books from Google Book Search if they wish. Google también permite a los autores eliminar sus libros de Google Book Search si así lo desean. Despite these assurances, the legal challenges from authors and publishers continue. A pesar de estas garantías, continúan los desafíos legales por parte de autores y editores. Google's acquisition in October 2006 of YouTube, the popular Internet video download site, also raised unresolved copyright issues that should keep courts around the world busy for years to come. La adquisición por parte de Google en octubre de 2006 de YouTube, el popular sitio de descarga de vídeos de Internet, también planteó cuestiones pendientes en materia de derechos de autor que deberían mantener ocupados a los tribunales de todo el mundo durante años.

Many of Google's services raise privacy Issues. Muchos de los servicios de Google plantean problemas de privacidad. Gmail, Google's free email service, pays for itself by inserting click-through ads into emails that Gmail account holders receive. Gmail, el servicio de correo electrónico gratuito de Google, se financia insertando anuncios en los correos electrónicos que reciben los titulares de cuentas de Gmail. To target the ads toward the interests of the user, Google analyzes the content of incoming email to search for keywords that will trigger the ads. Para orientar los anuncios hacia los intereses del usuario, Google analiza el contenido del correo electrónico entrante para buscar palabras clave que activen los anuncios. If these were generic ads placed in all emails automatically, few would complain. Si se tratara de anuncios genéricos colocados automáticamente en todos los correos electrónicos, pocos se quejarían. But scanning content strikes some as an invasion of privacy. Pero el escaneo de contenidos parece una invasión de la intimidad. Google defends the practice by saying that the emails are only read by computers, not people, for the purpose of ad placement and that many email services do the same thing in order to detect spam. Google defiende esta práctica diciendo que los correos electrónicos sólo son leídos por ordenadores, no por personas, con el fin de colocar anuncios y que muchos servicios de correo electrónico hacen lo mismo para detectar el spam. Critics, however, feel Google should not analyze the email from non-Gmail accounts unless it gets the sender's permission first. Los críticos, sin embargo, creen que Google no debería analizar el correo electrónico de cuentas que no sean de Gmail a menos que obtenga primero el permiso del remitente.

An even bigger privacy surprise for Google involved reaction to Google Street View. Una sorpresa aún mayor para la privacidad de Google fue la reacción a Google Street View. Tied to its Googte Earth and Google Maps services, Street View hopes to provide 360° photographs of every street in the world. Vinculado a sus servicios Googte Earth y Google Maps, Street View espera proporcionar fotografías de 360° de todas las calles del mundo. Who could object to such an ambitious and amazing undertaking? ¿Quién podría oponerse a una empresa tan ambiciosa y sorprendente? Google soon found out when entire countries as well as individual citizens complained. Many people simply did not want to be in these pictures. Muchas personas sencillamente no querían salir en esas fotos. Google naturally sought a technological solution— creating software algorithms that blur faces and car license plates. Naturalmente, Google buscó una solución tecnológica: crear algoritmos de software que difuminen las caras y las matrículas de los coches. Several countries worried about security threats if bad guys had access to free pictures of every building. Varios países se preocupaban por las amenazas a la seguridad si los malos tenían acceso gratuito a imágenes de todos los edificios.

Another fear is that governments can use Googte to invade privacy. Otro temor es que los gobiernos puedan utilizar Googte para invadir la privacidad. Google has huge data collections that it uses to improve its searches and select ads. Google dispone de enormes colecciones de datos que utiliza para mejorar sus búsquedas y seleccionar anuncios. This information could potentially be seized by governments and analyzed at relatively little cost. Los gobiernos podrían hacerse con esta información y analizarla con un coste relativamente bajo. In the En el

past, collecting data on, let's say, people who had read or purchased a controversial book would require an army of investigators to search through library records and bookstore sales. En el pasado, recopilar datos sobre, digamos, las personas que habían leído o comprado un libro polémico requeriría un ejército de investigadores que buscaran en los registros de las bibliotecas y las ventas de las librerías. It is hard to imagine a government even bothering. Es difícil imaginar que un gobierno se moleste siquiera en hacerlo. But data mining through a single database could quickly yield leads if Google has access to library records and has copies of emails sent between online booksellers and customers. Pero la minería de datos a través de una única base de datos podría arrojar pistas rápidamente si Google tiene acceso a los registros de las bibliotecas y dispone de copias de los correos electrónicos enviados entre los libreros en línea y los clientes.

As Google extended the scope of its operations overseas, questions concerning freedom of speech arose. A medida que Google ampliaba el alcance de sus operaciones en el extranjero, surgieron cuestiones relativas a la libertad de expresión. In its early days, Google saw itself as operating outside of government control and offering an unrestricted freedom in finding information. En sus inicios, Google se veía a sí mismo operando fuera del control gubernamental y ofreciendo una libertad sin restricciones a la hora de encontrar información. But when Google looked to expand its Web services into China, Google faced its first decision with major political implications. Pero cuando Google quiso ampliar sus servicios web a China, se enfrentó a su primera decisión con importantes implicaciones políticas. Could Google accept restrictions imposed on political content by the Chinese government without compromising its values? ¿Podría Google aceptar las restricciones impuestas a los contenidos políticos por el gobierno chino sin comprometer sus valores? Google did not want to lose the Chinese market and agreed to China's terms. Google no quería perder el mercado chino y aceptó las condiciones de China. It hoped to lessen criticism by better clarifying the meaning of its noble "Don't be evil" principle. Esperaba atenuar las críticas aclarando mejor el significado de su noble principio "No seas malo". As CEO Eric Schmidt tells it, Google used an "evil scale" to weigh its decision. En palabras de su Consejero Delegado, Eric Schmidt, Google utilizó una "balanza diabólica" para sopesar su decisión. Living with the Chinese government's restrictions is less evil than not serving Chinese users at all. Convivir con las restricciones del gobierno chino es menos malo que no prestar servicio alguno a los usuarios chinos. And less profitable, critics might add. Y menos rentable, añadirían los críticos. Google's decision led to bad press around the world and requests for hearings in the U.S. La decisión de Google provocó mala prensa en todo el mundo y solicitudes de audiencias en Estados Unidos. Congress. Congreso. In 2010, controversy over apparent government hacking of Google accounts within China prompted Google to reduce significantly its presence in China. En 2010, la controversia sobre el aparente pirateo gubernamental de cuentas de Google en China llevó a Google a reducir significativamente su presencia en China. Google ended up losing most of the Chinese market while tarnishing its image. Google acabó perdiendo la mayor parte del mercado chino al tiempo que empañaba su imagen.

Despite these legal and ethical issues, Google remains an extremely popular company. A pesar de estos problemas legales y éticos, Google sigue siendo una empresa extremadamente popular. After all. Después de todo. most of its services are free, and the public appreciates the company's engineering genius. la mayoría de sus servicios son gratuitos, y el público aprecia el genio de la ingeniería de la empresa. Yet some inside Google complain that a company that always looked ahead to see how it could improve the world has, to quote a Google engineer, started "chasing taillights." Sin embargo, algunos dentro de Google se quejan de que una empresa que siempre miraba hacia delante para ver cómo podía mejorar el mundo ha empezado, citando a un ingeniero de Google, a "perseguir luces traseras". Google, it seems, did not foresee the rise of online social networks such as Facebook or Linkedln and worries these services will draw advertising revenue away from its search engine. Google, al parecer, no previó el auge de redes sociales en línea como Facebook o Linkedln y teme que estos servicios resten ingresos publicitarios a su motor de búsqueda. Google wants to be in that market, but can it do so without chasing taillights? Google quiere estar en ese mercado, pero ¿puede hacerlo sin perseguir luces traseras? Larry Page and Sergey Brin want to use Google's immense resources and talents to design better, more profitable products, but others worry that the company will become self-protective and survive by crushing or absorbing innovative competitors. Larry Page y Sergey Brin quieren utilizar los inmensos recursos y talentos de Google para diseñar productos mejores y más rentables, pero a otros les preocupa que la empresa se autoproteja y sobreviva aplastando o absorbiendo a competidores innovadores. And that, they warn, would be...evil. Y eso, advierten, sería... malvado.