Google's commitment to transparency

From Google's Privacy Page:

"At Google, we’re committed to transparency and choice."

From a February 2009 post to the Official Google Blog by Jonathan Rosenberg, Senior Vice President of Product Management:

"Everyone should be able to defend arguments with data ... Information transparency helps people decide who is right and who is wrong and to determine who is telling the truth ... This is why President Obama's promise to "do our business in the light of day" is important, because transparency empowers the populace and demands accountability as its immediate offspring."

From the February 2009 contract signed between Google and the US General Services Administration, enabling government agencies to use YouTube videos on their web sites:

Confidentiality

The parties shall not disclose to any third parties Confidential Information disclosed by one party to the other under this Agreement. Each party shall protect Confidential Information by applying the same degree of care used by the parties to protect their own confidential information. If any Confidential Information is required to be produced by law, the noticed party will promptly notify the other party, and to the extent allowed by law, cooperate to obtain an appropriate protective order prior to disclosing any confidential information. Both parties agree that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, Provider may be bound by the Freedom of Information Act, as well as other federal laws and regulations that may require disclosure of information, including disclosure of the fact that an agreement is in place between the parties. Provider agrees that any disclosure of information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act or other law, regulation or compulsory process requiring disclosure will not, to the extent lawfully permitted, include any Confidential Information. Any required disclosure by Provider of documents that may contain Google Confidential Information will be preceded by notice to Google in accordance with applicable law, regulation and policy including 5 USC 552 and applicable agency rules.

....

Provider acknowledges that, except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, Google uses persistent cookies in connection with the YouTube Video Player. To the extent any rules or guidelines exist prohibiting the use of persistent cookies in connection with Provider Content applies to Google, Provider expressly waives those rules or guidelines as they may apply to Google.