Google Doodle

With this picture and a quotation with the following words from the Olympic Charter, Google entered a global political debate over gay rights and how they would be treated at the Sochi Olympics: “The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and with the Olympic spirit...”

The picture is a Google Doodle, one of many “fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo,” according to the definition on Google’s website.^[i]

In this case, the cartoon and accompanying text step into the spotlight of an active debate regarding the ethics of holding the Olympic games in Russia, due to laws there believed to discriminate against gay rights. Leading up to the exhibition of the Google Doodle, an open letter regarding the issue had been written by 200 famous authors, and protests were held. The cartoon which features six athletes playing winter sports and color coated in the colors of the rainbow represent the right of any athlete to compete.

While other activity around this debate had come from the UN, the writing community, and activists, that Google, a corporation, took a stance speaks to its political vision and its ability to influence public opinion on a world stage. Because most users of the internet reach content through a Google search, most users would encounter this sign. That Google has and uses its global power in this way represents the changing dynamics of state power and borders, which are melted by the global reach of American technology companies, namely among them Google.^[ii]