DUE DILIGENCE FOR BRASILIA NOMINEE GOOGLE EARTH OUTREACH

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001118

SIPDIS

USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/WH/OLAC/ADRISCOLL
STATE FOR EEB SMITH-NISSLEY AND WHA SALAZAR

E.0. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON EINV SENV ETRD BR
SUBJECT: DUE DILIGENCE FOR BRASILIA NOMINEE GOOGLE EARTH OUTREACH
FOR STATE'S 2008 ACE AWARD

REF: A) STATE 84836, B) BRASILIA 829

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


1. (SBU) Post Brasilia reaffirms that the conduct of Google Earth
Outreach, building conservation partnerships with indigenous leaders
and practitioners in the Amazon forests of Brazil, has been
exemplary and deserving of consideration for State's 2008 Award for
Corporate Excellence (ACE). An award for Google Earth Outreach
would further highlight Director of Foreign Assistance Henrietta
Fore's recent challenge to U.S. companies operating in Brazil,
expressed during her August 7-10, 2008 trip to Brazil, to aspire to
even greater levels of corporate social responsibility worldwide.
Responses to questions follow.


2. (SBU) Could there possibly be any downside or embarrassment
caused by the selection of your post's nominee? See paragraph 6.
Recent press regarding Google's activities and cooperation has been
positive and we believe the possibility for embarrassment to be
negligible. Although Google Earth Outreach is a lesser known member
of the Google family, public perception of Google products is very
positive and the partnership of Google Earth Outreach with the
indigenous group is a compelling story of innovative corporate
social responsibility and targeted outreach of Google mapping
technologies, exemplifying of one of Director of Foreign Assistance
Henrietta Fore's keystone development concepts, the Global
Development Commons. For an update on Google Earth Outreach
engagement with the Surui people, see: http:
//googleblog.blogspot.com
/2008/07/ragogmakan-google-goes-to-amazon.htm l


3. (SBU) Do you have any information concerning job creation in the
United States resulting from the operations of the company you
nominated? Job creation was not the focus of this nomination,
although Google is doing quite well in Brazil - and therefore,
creating jobs in the United States.


4. (SBU) What is your assessment of the company's trade and
investment activities with regard to helping stimulate economic
growth in the U.S. and increasing American exports? Google is a
global company on the cutting edge of information technology
worldwide, stimulating economic growth in the U.S.


5. (SBU) What is the state of labor conditions in the company's
facilities and are workers unionized? As a high-tech company,
Google offers adequate working conditions. We do not have any
information about worker unionization.


6. (SBU) Are you aware of any litigation pending in local courts
involving the company? Yes, Google has legal matters pending in
Brazil, including the aftermath of a Brazilian Parliamentary
Inquiry, over allegations that Google and member company Orkut were
unwilling to provide information to law enforcement authorities on
the identity of pedophiles and individuals involved in child
pornography. We understand that Orkut is cooperating with local
authorities. Apparently Google, partly because of its visibility as
the leading search engine, is still subject to occasional requests
by federal authorities to disclose user information. However, we do
not see possible granting of an ACE award to Google Earth Outreach
as a complicating factor in outstanding litigation, but rather as
solid evidence of Google's positive engagement in sound economic and
social development in Brazil.


7. Please confirm that the Chief of Mission and others involved in
the nomination process do not hold shares of stock or have other
financial interests in the company. Ambassador has told Post about
a potential conflict of having a sibling who works for Google, and
in order to be very careful, has directed Post to refer all Google
related information to DCM Lisa Kubiske. By informing the DCM
directly on all Google matters, the conflict has been dealt with.

SOBEL