Goggling your home Wi-fi: But they got caught
Attorney General Conway Announces $7 Million Multistate Settlement with Google over Street View WiFi Data Capture
Press Release Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Attorney General Jack Conway today joined 37 other states and the District of Columbia in announcing a $7 million settlement with Google over privacy concerns involving the capture of consumers' and businesses' private WiFi data by its Street View service. Google's Street View program used specially equipped vehicles to capture images between 2008 and 2010 for use in Google's future geolocation services. However, it was later discovered that these vehicles were also collecting information from unsecured WiFi networks as they rolled by homes and businesses on public streets.
[B]In addition to collecting images, Google Street View cars also collected network identification information from all private and public wireless networks for use in Google's future geolocation services. However, at the same time Google collected and stored data frames and other "payload data" being transmitted over unsecured business and personal wireless networks.[/B] While Google represented that its executives were unaware the payload data was being collected, the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance it signed with the states acknowledged that the information may have included URLs of requested Web pages, partial or complete email communications, and any confidential or private information being transmitted to or from the network user while the Street View cars were driving by.
[url=http://migration.kentucky.gov/newsroom/ag/googlewifi.htm]Kentucky.gov: - Attorney General Conway Announces $7 Million Multistate Settlement with Google over Street View WiFi Data Capture[/url]
My thoughts: Google, as part of the settlement, says they will destroy all data collected "as soon as legally practicable". And they said they did not and will not share the collected data was not shared with any third party.
[B]Does that sound a little like "Trust me, I sell cars". [/B]