Don't be evil (unless, you know, there's a lot of money involved)

Google on Wednesday recommended to its shareholders that they vote against a proposal calling for new policies to protect internet freedoms.

The world's biggest internet company gave no explanation in an SEC filing why it opposed the proposal, which is being put forward by The New York state pension funds, one of the biggest investors in the US, at its annual meeting in May.

The group has submitted an identical proposal for consideration at Google rival Yahoo's annual meeting in June.

Funds press Google on Internet freedoms (Financial Times, April 5, 2007, via MSNBC)

Google may not have explained it, but I can sum it up in one word: China.

Larry and Sergey's famous dictum, "Don't be evil" (in summing up Google's corporate philosophy) clearly has some wiggle room built in.