Hmm, I have a different understanding of "costs nothing" and what is "easy" in this context.

It would've been a lot of work for HR to deal with this internally.

As it is, it is also a lot of work for them to deal with anyway.

In the long run, it's anyone's guess. Companies set and enforce their values how they please.

Have you ever worked at Google? No? Then maybe you shouldn't give your opinion on how much it could've costed for HR to cover this fuck up. Just my 2c.