“CNIL launched an investigation last month into Google’s recording of traffic carried over unencrypted Wi-Fi networks, and has begun examining the data Google handed over as part of that investigation,” Sayer reports. “Google revealed on May 14 that the fleet of vehicles it operates to compile panoramic images of city streets for its Google Maps site had inadvertently recorded traffic from unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. Google’s intention was only to record the identity and position of Wi-Fi hotspots in order to power a location service it operates, the company said. However, the software it used to record that information went much further, intercepting and storing data packets too.”
Sayer reports, “At the time, Google said it only collected “fragments” of personal Web traffic as it passed by, because its Wi-Fi equipment automatically changes channels five times a second. However, with Wi-Fi networks operating at up to 54M bits per second, it always seemed likely that those one-fifth of a second recordings would contain more than just ‘fragments’ of personal data.”
Full article here.
Erik Von Schmidt, you are a third Reich bastard – and You Vant the Vorld to Trust you?
Bad Google! Bad Google!
People, if Google can do this, so can anyone. Even Big Brother.
And yet the fandroids think Steve is evil but this is ok.
Unbelievable, how do you “accidentally” steal someone’s data. I bet that if I “accidentally” hack Google’s servers and still people’s data, the FBI will be knocking on the door. There’s no reason to collect any data while they captured the street view.
steal not still…… I wish we had an edit button 🙁
If you rearrange Google’s catch phrase “Don’t Be Evil”, you end up with “I am Lord Voldemort”. It’s horribly misspelled however.
An act of hubris by a company that has grown too much…
But guys it’s all FREEEEEEE!
You gan drust Mr. Smithers, but must hate Jobs, must hate Jobs, must hate Apple…. must hate…
Sounds evil to me…
That`s just the tip of the iceberg…
http://precursorblog.com/
Google=Gulag
you gotta be sh*tting me? Google has to take some serious heat for this!
@ Jersey_Trader:
Google _is_ Big Brother.
Facebook is Little Brother.
Evil!
I do not get why people love and trust google.
They have all your search info, they want all your web viewing data(chrome), they want all your email data(gmail), they want all your phone use/location data(android) and all your tv viewing data.
Now, they are driving around taking what you won’t give them.
They are scary.
People…
Be real here.
Google was not hacking into anything. These were packets picked up from OPEN, UNENCRYPTED WiFi systems. Anyone stupid enough to have there systems unprotected like that has absolutely no right to complain that their information was recorded by Google.
It’s no different than if you take the front door off your house. You have no right to complain that someone walks in, sits down and starts watching TV on your set.