80 Googlers fired for misusing user data since 2018

Google fired 36 employees last year, 26 the year before last and 18 in 2018, for defying privacy norms and misusing user data. The employees had allegedly not handled user data properly, as they should have, with some even sharing confidential information with people outside the office and the country. Over the last couple of years, the tech major has actually terminated 80 employees for mishandling data and compromising security.

A significant chunk of the employees fired had shared data with third parties or people who were not meant to possess such data or information, while some of the terminated staff had accessed, altered or even deleted data pertaining to users or employees.

However, these terminations prove that Google takes misuse of user data and breach of privacy/security very seriously. The Company maintains that it follows the best standards in the industry to ensure data security and protects data in every possible way from internal threats. It employs various measures, such as restricted access and multiple stages of review among others, before allowing access to data. It also trains its employees every year on the issue. All complaints or allegations pertaining to data security or breach are thoroughly looked into and corrective action is taken immediately.

About four weeks ago, Facebook also fired many employees for misusing user data for their personal interest. An engineer was apparently terminated because he accessed user data to track down a girlfriend, while another had tried to gather information about a former girlfriend, who had dumped him after a fight.

Apparently, malicious employees can wrongly and unethically access old posts, private chats on Facebook messenger and photographs, even the deleted ones, or identify the location of users or other employees.