The code clearly states to avoid a conflict of interest. I believe that google should itself expunge itself of its conflict of interest with users. Google like many other tech companies continuously mislead users about the true cost of the products that they provide to users for “free”. That cost is the user’s data and all the benefits and use of that data. Users should be informed that the business model that google currently employs is one in which the user is the product that google will then sell to its real customer’s advertisers. This fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the business model Google uses to benefit itself is in and of itself a conflict of interest. If the code was to be upheld Google should remove itself of its conflict of interest.

It is important to note that on an individual human level google code does prohibit any types of conflicts of interest. For example, if a google employee used their position at google to find information about a particular person they were interested in this would be against the code of conduct. It would be against the code of conduct for any individual employee to use their postion at google to benefit themselves or anyone they know.