Google’s New Blog Invites Comments

Google’s new public policy blog brings a first for the company – it’s open to comments from outsiders.

Google has started up a new corporate blog, but it’s one with a difference – this blog is opento comments from outsiders. Google already has several blogs, covering technical issues and also serving as conduits for giving information on corporate policy, but these have all been one-wayoutward traffic.   The new blog deals with public policy. Its intention is to give insights into the company corporate thought processes to global policy makers. The audience for this blog are“legislators, ministers, governors, city councilmembers, regulators and the staffers who support them,” according to Andrew McLaughlin, Google’s director of public policy and governmentaffairs.   It’s certainly brought immediate reaction, not all of it positive about Google’s policies. There has been criticism of the company’s data retention policy, itsco-operation with the Chinese government and it’s deal with Doubleclick.   But the company welcomes that kind of dialogue. The blog’s aim is to “foster free expression, promoteeconomic growth, expand access to information, enable innovation and protect consumers,” McLaughlin said.   The company says this is the first step to opening up all their blogs to two-wayinteraction.