Google has terminated four employees for allegedly sharing sensitive information, including details of medical appointments, according to a memo confirmed by CNBC.
In the Nov. 25 memo sent to staff, Google said the employees were fired after the tech giant's security and investigations team conducted an investigation into their behavior.
"There's been some misinformation circulating about this investigation, both internally and externally," the memo said. "We want to be clear that none of these individuals were fired for simply looking at documents or calendars during the ordinary course of their work. To the contrary, our thorough investigation found the individuals were involved in systematic searches for other employees' materials and work."
The memo did not include who had been fired, and Google declined to comment further to CNBC about the employees who were fired. A blog post from employees, however, claims the employees that were fired were activists.
The memo to staff went into a few details about the sensitive information the employees were allegedly trying to share or obtain.
"This includes searching for, accessing and distributing business information outside the scope of their jobs — repeating this conduct even after they were met with and reminded about our data security policies," the memo said, according to CNBC. "This information along with details of internal emails and inaccurate descriptions about Googlers' work, was subsequently shared externally."
Google claims the employees shared other staffers' medical appointments and information from meetings. One employee allegedly tracked other employees' whereabouts.
"When the affected Googlers discovered this, many reported that they felt scared or unsafe, and requested to work from another location," the memo said. "Screenshots of some of their calendars, including their names and details, subsequently made their way outside the company."