Google Exec's Internal Email On Data Leak Policy Rattles Employees

With employees organizing sit-ins over retaliation and continuing to agitate for change, Google is locking down internal communications. From a report: Google's top legal executive Kent Walker sent an all-staff email on Thursday informing employees that accessing documents classified as 'need to know' without permission could result in termination, sources inside the company tell BuzzFeed News. After BuzzFeed News contacted Google about the email, Walker sent an update on Tuesday in the company's daily newsletter, clarifying that employees were typically only terminated when intentional violations resulted in data leaks, risks to user privacy, or harm to co-workers.

The Thursday email, titled 'An important reminder on data classifications,' referenced changes to Google's data security policy that were updated in October. Although the policy has been in place since 2007, and updates are visible internally, employees weren't notified by email at the time. The timing of the email announcement rattled employees who've been involved with organizing within the company's ranks and who told BuzzFeed News they saw it as a blow to internal accountability mechanisms. These employees said the 'need to know' language in the data security policy leaves which particular documents are considered 'need to know' up to Google's interpretation; 'need to know' documents aren't necessarily labeled as such, and the punishment for accessing such documents without permission can vary, but include termination.

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