Google's Latest Scandal(s)

Usually when we think of Google having a busy month it means they've been hard at work changing algorithms or adding a slew of features into Webmaster Tools or Google Analytics - especially when it's being covered in SearchEngineNews.com. We normally skip discussions on law suits against Google and complaints because there are so many happening at once it's hard to keep track of and who really cares. However, we're changing it up and quickly covering just some of the trouble Google is in. Why? Because it's important that you know some of what's happening.

First off, the Google Chrome Browser is getting the Google punishment for violating Google's quality guidelines. Sound confusing and redundant? Well you did read that right.

Google hired two marketing agencies to promote the Google Chrome browser with some online ads. However the firms utilized a series of sponsored reviews, meaning they paid bloggers to review Google Chrome, a tactic that Google avoids.

The problem however isn't the paid posts themselves, but the quality of the posts. Multiple poor quality posts linking to Google Chrome is a no-no for Google. So what does Google do? They actually penalized www.google.com/chrome by lowering its PageRank for 60 days after which they will have to submit a reconsideration document just like any other site. What they're trying to prove by doing this we have no idea.

Since then the firm that was responsible issued a public apology, and Google Chrome is impossible to find on page 1 of the search results.

Next is the well publicized inquiry of Google by the FTC for fair trade violations, and the extended investigation into their new Search plus Your World feature that may unfairly give an advantage to Google+ results in search.

To combat this Google has launched a huge ad campaign that promotes online privacy and security through all media sources. They are hoping this will increase positive public opinion about Google and their products in regards to security.

On the foreign level, it appears Google is having some trouble with employees messing around with the databases of several Internet related companies. First, several Google workers utilized the database of Mocality, a Kenyan online directory, in an unethical m...