So Far, 2012 Isn’t So Hot For Google ⇥

Less than a week ago, Google found themselves caught in a bit of a scandal when Mocality, a Kenyan business directory, reported that they had conducted a sting operation to track down a recent rise in help desk inquiries regarding a Google-Mocality partnership. No such deal existed. Employees at two Google-owned offices were found to have lied to businesses on Mocality’s site in order to gain listings on Google’s competing database. Google apologised to Mocality and claimed to be investigating. It seemed like this scandal was over.

But it’s a new week, after all. Yesterday, an entry was posted on OpenStreetMap’s company blog, and it’s a doozy:

Preliminary results show users from Google IP address ranges in India deleting, moving and abusing OSM data including subtle edits like reversing one-way streets.

Two OpenStreetMap accounts have been vandalizing OSM in London, New York and elsewhere from Google’s IP address, the same address in India reported by Mocality.

The vandalism includes editing incorrect street names and adding fake Olympic stadiums. In short, there’s a Google office in India that is actively sabotaging competitors.

Don’t be evil.

This link is from John Gruber, who was tipped by Kontra. Kontra notes that this has been the fourth scandal in three weeks for Google. Have they lost control of just one office, or is this permeating their culture?

Update: Google confirmed to ReadWriteWeb that the employees responsible have been fired:

A source familiar with Google’s actions said the two were terminated because they used Google’s network for unauthorized activity, which is against Google’s rules, not because of what they actually did on their own initiative.