Google Openly Snubs Russia

Well played, Google Doodle. On Friday, the same day the Sochi Olympic Games kick off in Russia, Google's homepage is presenting an open snub to the Olympic host country. We've noted before that Vladimir Putin's anti-gay laws, signed in by the president last summer, are in flagrant violation of the Olympic Charter, which bans any sort of discrimination. Google, a company that has publicly stood up for gay rights through special initiatives, marches, and hiring policies, is using Google Doodle to point out exactly that.

Google's logo Friday features a series of winter athletes in rainbow colors, and underneath the image Google has quoted from the Olympic Charter. It's the very part of the Charter that Putin's notorious policies are violating, and Google's making sure everyone knows it.

The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

Google hasn't issued a statement, quite possibly because its statement is right there on the Google homepage.

The California-based company has historically taken a strong sense on human-rights issue, including censorship in China: Google refused to censor search results in the country after China asked it to.

Ten for you, Google Doodle.

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