Cogs in the Machine

You know those annoying anti-spam tests on Facebook and email?  The ones that make you identify distorted images like these:

Well, it turns out that every time you solve one, you're providing free labor to Google.  It's true.  The system is called ReCaptcha, and it was invented by Carnegie Mellon computer scientist Luis Van Ahn.  Check out this short video to learn more about this bizarre and mildly creepy scheme.  My question: does this program violate Google's "Don't Be Evil" ethic?