How Google evolved from ‘cuddly’ startup to antitrust target

How Google grew from its idealistic roots into what regulators describe as a cutthroat behemoth is a story shaped by unbridled ambition, savvy decision making, technology’s networking effects, lax regulatory oversight and the pressure to pump up profits. — AP

SAN RAMON, California: In Google’s infancy, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin reviled Microsoft as a technological bully that ruthlessly abused its dominance of the personal computer software market to choke off competition that could spawn better products.

Their disdain for Microsoft spurred Google to adopt “Don’t Be Evil” as a corporate motto that remained its moral compass during its transition from a free-wheeling startup to a publicly traded company suddenly accountable to shareholders.