Google is reportedly being sued by a product manager at the company for its confidentiality policies, according to The Information. Apparently, the suit, which was filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco, alleges Google is spying on its own employees, violating California labor laws.
Google’s internal policies are allegedly there to encourage employees not to put concerns of illegal activity into writing, which the company fears could fall into the hands of regulators and law enforcement. Employees are also discourages from writing novels about people working in Silicon Valley.
The Information claims the same employee filed a suit earlier this year with the National Labor Relations Board with similar complaints.
“Google has since amended its Data Classification Guidelines, which were the subject of the labor complain,” The Information writes.
Don’t be evil
Should the employee successfully sue Google, the company could be forced to reveal confidential information. Google’s currently policies are meant to dissuade individuals from leaking information to law enforcement or the press. So, what is Google hiding?
That’s a question that will no doubt be raised over the coming months.
The Verge has a copy of the 24-page complaint, which you can read in full at their site.
“Google’s motto is ‘don’t be evil.’ Google’s illegal confidentiality agreements, policies, and practices fail this test,” the lawsuit alleges.
