Are you searching for love?
Lots of people start the search for the right person on Google, if for no other reason than to track down the latest hot matching website. But the Mountain View search giant has bigger fish to fry in the love department. Google just launched what it calls 'Legalize Love," a plan to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Starting in Singapore, where certain homosexual activities are illegal, and Poland, where gay couples are not legally recognized, Google says it wants to make life easier and safer for gay people as they interact at work and in society.
Google's Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe said in a statement: "We want our employees who are gay or lesbian or transgender to have the same experience outside the office as they do in the office." It's an interesting political move for a company that - like most technology giants - normally doesn't wear its politics on its sleeve.
Palmer-Edgecumbe, in calling the move "ambitious," admits Google is trying to pressure countries in which it does business. It will be worth watching to see if a dot-com giant like Google can successfully change policies in countries; we've seen them try when it comes to privacy issues - this one affects people in a different way. Where they live - and love.
Scott can be found on Twitter: @scottbudman
