Google has denied that it outsourced its Getting Kenyan Businesses Online (GKBO) initiative to foreign firms. GKBO is the subject of an embarrassing tussle between Google and Mocality, a business listings directory in Kenya. Mocality made claims that Google had contacted businesses listed by Mocality with an offer of a free website which callers from Google incorrectly stated was being offered in partnership with Mocality. Calls from people identifying themselves as Google representatives were made from Kenya and later India.
 

Some blogs and news outlets stated late last week that Google had outsourced GKBO to Iridium Interactive, an Indian firm based in both Kenya and India . Dorothy Ooko who handles Google's Communications and Public Policy for East and Francophone Africa said on phone, " Google does not outsource its products and Getting Kenya Businesses was our product."

Dorothy added that Google was handling the investigations with the seriousness of the allegations and when ready, would be issuing a statement through Nelson Mattos, Google's Vice-President for Product and Engineering, Europe and Emerging Markets.

Mattos on Friday stated, "We were mortified to learn that a team of people working on a Google project improperly used Mocality's data and misrepresented our relationship with Mocality to encourage customers to create new websites. We've already unreservedly apologised to Mocality. We're still investigating exactly how this happened, and as soon as we have all the facts, we'll be taking the appropriate action with the people involved. "