Self-interest forces Google to search their soul
ISN’T it amazing how companies suddenly develop a conscience when their bottom line is affected?
Google have apologised to the big brands – including Heinz, McDonald’s and Toyota – who pulled their marketing business after their adverts were shown alongside extremist videos on YouTube.
However, did the tech leaders promise to recruit staff to police the bile? To stop terror groups posting vile footage or making cash from the content? To become fiscally responsible? To hatch a strategy to flush out illegal activity shown on their sites?
Er, no. So a bit of brand damage repair is clearly required. If they don’t know where to start, try Googling: 1. How to eradicate offensive and abusive online activity. 2. HMRC Corporate Tax and how to stop avoiding it 3. Responsibility, integrity and the difference between right and wrong.
JOIN me in a moment’s silence for that poor mite Philip Greed Green, whose worth has dropped from £4.7billion to £3.8billion. He’ll be down to his last ISA soon. I doubt the latest blow to his finances will trouble him. Losing that kind of cash is a drop in the ocean off the deck of his £100million superyacht.
No, what will really sting is the fact that he’s lost his big-shot reputation and been forced to backtrack, buckle to demands and do the right thing, leaving him with the biggest deficit of all on his balance sheet: BHS pension fund repayment – £373million. Drop in estimated worth – £900million.
Large slice of force-fed humble pie – priceless.