There was an immeasurable distance between the quick and the dead: they did not seem to belong to the same species; and it was strange to think that but a little while before they had spoken and moved and eaten and laughed - W. Somerset Maugham
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Google breached Aussie privacy act
WIFI DATA SNUFFLER Google is in more hot water Down Under as it has been judged to have broken Australian federal law.
The problem stems from the firm's Street View project that while mapping streets all over the world accidentally collected data from open wireless networks. This has led to serious ramifications for the firm worldwide and today Google issued an apology to the Australian government.
Google offered the apology after Australia's privacy commissioner Karen Curtis concluded her investigation into the matter by saying, "I am satisfied that any collection of personal information would have breached the Australian Privacy Act." Curtis went on to call Google's actions a "very serious matter".
As part of a slap on the wrist dealt out by her office, Google will have to undertake a "privacy impact assessment" (PIA) and consult with Curtis regarding any data collection that occurs in Google's future products. Apparently these steps will "ensure Google's future products have privacy protections built in rather than bolted on."
However Curtis says that the deal will last for only three years, after which who knows what will happen.
Curtis said she was "unable to impose a sanction on an organisation when I have initiated the investigation." However that doesn't mean Google is off the hook, as Curtis noted that other privacy and law enforcement authorities might be investigating Google's theft of WiFi payload data and for that reason she declined to comment further on the matter.
Curtis did however thank Google for its cooperation in her investigation. The Street View WiFi payload saga has left a mark on the firm's reputation. Google tries to pride itself on a "do no evil" policy, nevertheless the collection of personal data throughout the world has opened the eyes of many to the company's thirst for information about its users. Only this time, Google didn't stop at collecting information on its users, instead adopting a blanket approach to privacy invasion.
Google maintains that its actions were a mistake and admits that the firm has "failed badly" to earn peoples' trust. µ
Tags: Google
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For your information, there is this little thing called "respect". It is the notion that you have no business putting your nose where it has not been specifically invited.
The notion of "respect" is something that any "civilized" person (look it up) needs to be able to live in close proximity to a large number of other people, preferably of the "civilized" kind.
Together, the notions of "respect" and "civilized" enable the creation of a greater notion : "society", without which we would all be wielding clubs and howling with bad breath.
It is the people with no respect of other people's property that have made it necessary to create all these stupid laws we have in the first place.
So congratulations, Mr. Me, for continuing the grand tradition of the Neanderthal in the 21st century. Rest assured that your tribe is far from endangered, unfortunately for the rest of us that have to put up with your bad manners and bad breath.
And walking down the street, and accessing an open wireless hotspot without permission, in Australia, is a federal crime.
Google did the wrong thing, but it does highlight that our laws (Aussie that is) need to be clarified.
I agree though, if it was "personal information" it wouldn't have been broadcast in plain text over an open wireless, if it was, its hardly personal any more (akin to me walking down the street yelling my bank account numbers at the top of my lungs then being astounded when someone makes a withdrawal from them).
Really, it's only payload data. It's not like they hacked systems and pulled people credit card information and stuff.
Anyone that leaves their system open should be violated. I mean dang, I can walk down the street and do the same, and more.
Really, it's only payload data. It's not like they hacked systems and pulled people credit card information and stuff.
Anyone that leaves their system open should be violated. I mean dang, I can walk down the street and do the same, and more.