Google Street View Cars Collect WiFi Network Data

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Peter Vogel

To the surprise of many Google confirmed that since 2006 its Street View Cars captured WiFi network information in addition to Street View Photos. Google uses this WiFi network information to improve location-based services like search and maps. Specifically Google confessed that the WiFi information collected was:

WiFi networks broadcast information that identifies the network and how that network operates. That includes SSID data (i.e. the network name) and MAC address (a unique number given to a device like a WiFi router). Networks also send information to other computers that are using the network, called payload data, but Google does not collect or store payload data.

Not surprising that Google claims that its collection and use of the WiFi data was legal, done by other companies including Skyhook and organizations like the German Fraunhofer Institute. Around the world a number of privacy groups have been unhappy about Google Street View Photos and now new privacy concerns issues abound regarding Google’s collection of WiFi network data.

Destruction of Google’s Irish WiFi Data

Even though Google claim it is completely legal on May 14, 2010 the Irish Data Protection Authority asked Google to delete its WiFi network data collected in Ireland. So on May 16th the destruction of this WiFi network data was confirmed by a third party consultant. However one might wonder how the consultant could confirm that all the data was actually destroyed without reviewing Google computer networks, which is probably impossible to do.

Germany and Australia Want Answers

German prosecutors are investigating whether Google violated privacy laws and Google posted a blog that the Data Protection Authority in Hamburg, German requested an audit of Google’s WiFi data.  Also privacy groups in Australia want Google to know more. Clearly Google’s collection and use of private WiFi network information helps us better understand how little privacy we all have.

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Google Woes in the EU Include Conviction for Executives Over Video Posting

Posted on March 13, 2010 by Peter Vogel

The recent conviction of 3 Google executives in Italy for a video posted on Google which showed the bullying of a disable teenager captured many headlines. No question that the video was in poor taste and Google took the video down within 24 hours of its posting after Google got 2 complaints. The conviction of the Google’s global privacy counsel, Peter Fleischer and two other executives raises significant issues. A fourth Google executive was acquitted, and Google plans to appeal these convictions. Does it make sense that Google, or any other ISP (Internet Service Provider), be liable for content posted over which the ISP has no control? The US Communications Decency Act of 1996 protects ISPs from liability since they have no control over content posted. How Google fares with these convictions may have an interesting impact on ISPs around the world.

Google Street View May Breach EU Law

Only to make things more complicated recent reports that the Google’s Street View violates EU Data Protection laws since they retain the images for too long. As well it was reported that “Switzerland’s data-protection agency in November sued Google for allegedly failing to comply with proposals to make it harder to identify people and cars on Street View.” Of course disputes regarding Street View are not new since claims of breach of privacy have been under way since at least 2008 in Japan.

Google has More EU Antitrust Problems

ComScore recently reported that Google has about 79% of the searches in the EU and the EU renewed its investigation about Google anticompetitive behavior. Google claims that Microsoft may be the source of the investigation since Microsoft owns one of the companies that complained. It seems reasonable to assume that the search engine wars will continue, but how the EU ultimately rules may have a far reaching impact.

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