Sources: Google contractors fired after vandalizing OpenStreetMap, 'no connection' with Mocality incident (updated)

Don’t be evil, yet seeming more and more evil everyday.

We actually don’t know the full timeline here. It’s possible that all these actions happened at more or less the same time, and google is reacting the accusations as they crop up.

That being said, I could be entirely wrong, and google is not paying attention to their contractors. They are responsible for the actions of their employees/contractors, even if they are not necessarily at fault for the actions of their employees/contractors.

As an aside, I appreciate the use of the word “sacked” in the headline.

How may times is Google going to tell us it was “not Google, but some rogue elements within or contracted by Google”. Google needs to have better management and oversight and ethics training for their employees and contractors. I’m sure all of these are cropping up at the same time because one scandal begets another as people go looking for more. I’m hoping Larry Page is tightening down the organization and putting measures in place to prevent this sort of thing in the future.

Whatever measures they take today obviously won’t prevent more of these incidents being uncovered in the coming month if there really is a lack of oversight in enforcing the company’s values. One thing my employer tells us in ethics training every year is that every employee’s actions directly reflect on the company as a whole. That each employee is the face of the company. Google fans and Google execs seem to be missing that point.

Any company with as much power to influence popular opinion and look at information on an individual needs to not only declare high ethics, but enforce them vigorously with intense oversight. What makes things scary for a company like Google to be “evil” is that you can imagine a Google search for one political candidate favoring the positive articles about that candidate while the search for his opponent favoring the negative articles. With elections as close as they are, a “rogue Google” could actually influence an election far more than the press ever could.

Google, please make enforcement of stated company values priority #1 for 2012.

Guys. These incidents happened in small markets, and were the acts of contractors. I know people really want to believe that a contractor is the same thing as an employee, but it’s not. It’s an outsourced position. They work for another company. They use Google IP addresses only when they’re doing work for Google. It’s very difficult to monitor what contractors are doing because, again, they work for a different company.

Since the disclosures, Google has been incredibly forthcoming and has done everything in its power to make things right. They recognize that these actions pose a threat to their credibility, and they have an incentive to stamp them out.

But let’s get something clear. For those suggesting Mocality was intentional, and somehow condoned by Google corporate: wouldn’t that be predicated on the idea that there was a large profit incentive for them to cheat in the Kenyan market? Seems like a stretch.

Likewise, what incentive does Google have to sabotage OpenStreetMap? They sponsor them. Not to mention creating conflicting digital maps online sows uncertainty for all digital map providers.

Looks like the Kenyans are trying to revolt.

I’d suggest doing a serious investigation into Google India. Two incidents in a week and I’d question every employee there.

this isnt a good year for google.