Wellington - New Zealand's justice
minister on Wednesday urged Alphabet's Google not to
be "evil" after the company failed to abide by a suppression
order related to the murder case of a British backpacker.
The killing of 22-year-old Grace Millane last year shocked
New Zealand, where serious crimes are relatively rare and its
cities and countryside are considered safe.
A New Zealand man accused of the crime pleaded not guilty in
January and his name has been suppressed by a court in Auckland.
However, the man's name appeared in Google's "what's
trending in New Zealand" email that was sent to thousands of
subscribers.
Despite assurances from Google in meetings with government
officials, the issue remains unresolved, said Justice Minister
Andrew Little.
"My message to Google is, don't be evil. Do the right
thing," Little said in a video posted on his Twitter account,
referring to the company's former motto "don't be evil".
"We've had a situation where, in a very important trial -
the Grace Millane case - a newspaper, helped by Google, has
published information that the judge said was suppressed,"
Little said.
"That's wrong and I've been a bit frustrated by Google not
working out what the problem is and what they can do to prevent
this from happening again," he added.
A Google representative said the company respects New
Zealand law and understands the sensitivity around this issue.
"When we receive valid court orders, including suppression
orders, we review and respond appropriately," the representative
said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Millane, who was travelling after finishing university, went
missing in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, on Dec. 1.
Police found her body in a bush area just a few metres from
a scenic drive in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is leading a global campaign
to stop social media like Facebook, Google and others from being
used to promote terrorism and violent extremism after a mass
shooting in Christchurch in March.
Ardern said she was disappointed by Google's response in the
Millane case.
"Now we need to consider what the next steps will be for
NZ," Ardern told reporters on Wednesday, according to
broadcaster Newshub.