David Powell
Aug 8, 2017 · 4 min read

Above the law and shaping the law?

We have all probably felt uncomfortable about the work we have done at some point in our lives. But the idea of working for a company that breaks the law or potentially puts patients at risk is not something I would want to tell my grandchildren.

This is one of the reasons I took the seemingly suicidal carer decision to resign from Google’s Warsaw office after one week. There is much I cannot disclose. However, there are some things, which I can argue based on publicly available information.

The question is whether the authorities of a country that is reported to receive defence support from the US government would be willing to investigate one of its biggest companies. Even the Indian Premier visited Google’s headquarters in Silicon Valley on his visit to the USA.

In my view, this gives Google the aura of a state-endorsed company and, therefore, a special responsibility. I have noticed a similar problem with another search engine. But for Google not to take this issue seriously enough after my complaint is not acceptable and enough of a reason to resign.

In history, including in Poland, people have complied with authorities, often feeding harmful medication to those, who have been perceived to be the ‘undesirables’ in society. The sad thing, is that, in today’s society, family members are being convinced to recommend the same class of medication (antipsychotics) in people’s best interests based on ‘scientific evidence’.

Hang on a sec… Are my objections based on subjective opinion? Surely one needs to talk to an expert at a reputable institution or do some hard research based on scientific evidence. So where do we start? Which are the reputable institutions? Let’s search for academic articles. Most likely than not, most will start their ‘research’ with Google.

But let’s start with the law. In Poland, marketing of prescription drugs directly to the public is against the law. I had seen a Google advert from a website from a Janssen subsidiary, talking about the importance of taking medication. (Johnson and Johnson, the parent company of Janssen pharmaceuticals, has paid over USD 2 BN in settlements for bad marketing of antipsychotic drugs.)

But there is a way round the problem, one might say. One can ignore the adverts and look at the ‘objective’ search results. But I noticed people had started sharing this website on social networks. Anyone who is aware how Google’s search engine works will know that the more links there are of site A on other sites, the higher site A will appear in search results.

So let’s take the battle of opinions in the ‘ordinary’ search result, assuming there were no adverts. Anyone launching a website will know that to come top of Google’s search results, one needs to invest in ‘Search Engine Optimization’ (‘SEO’). Does a group of former patients who are trying to talk about their negative experiences have enough money to invest in such specialists?

One may argue that this small group could apply to Google for some of the ‘free ads’ it ‘gives’ to charities. But note that the fact that charities now use ads, reinforces our belief that Google is the place to go for all information. This will probably help to grow ad revenues from the pharmaceutical companies who will spend more money on ads as Google is seen ever more as a trusted source of the world’s information (higher bids, more clicks, etc.).

So why do are so much about this issue. First, personal experience (see below). Second, I was elected President of a student society at university once described as the ‘last bastion of free speech in the Western world’. A lot is difficult to explain explicitly in this article, but I hope you can infer some of what I am concerned about.

Personal experience. I have visited psychoneurological institutions (where these drugs are used). Seeing children I used to teach locked up and medicated until their early deaths, has had a big impact on me. After an invitation from Ukraine’s leading charity for people diagnosed with ‘intellectual disabilities’, I went to Ukraine for a few months on a voluntary basis. I organized trainings in Positive Behavioural Support, which can be used as an alternative to medication. In the first meeting in Ukraine, a passionate mother made a speech about how she had felt cheated by doctors into giving this medication, which had had no benefits for her child and caused them harm. So I decided to try to fight, what seemed like a losing battle.

The idea that I am so hostile to a company that offers free email and seems to make everyone’s life easier may make it seem like I am an obsessive or live on another planet. What is, after all, the problem?

Imagine you find someone you find on the street who seems terrified and does not want to tell you anything. You ask for some information, so you can search it on your phone. Or you might call an ambulance so the person can be taken to a mental hospital where they will be ‘helped’. If you feel uneasy after doing this, one can always do a search on Google to find the scientific evidence to tell you you did the right thing.

How does one start to find a way round this problem.

Start posting lots online? You may always be one step behind.

Take the time one day to attend a meeting or discussion, ideally about how to visit people locked up in institutions. Ideally, meetings that would still happen if one suddenly found one could not communicate freely on the internet.

How would one start? At least try.