French watchdog requests Google Street View data - Security.
Google 'to escape punishment for Street View snooping' Google Wi-Fi snooping probe back on despite deletion of vital data | Security Threats. The UK's data-protection watchdog has reopened its investigation into Google's unsolicited Street View data collection, but it will be hampered by an earlier decision to allow Google to delete raw payload data, a privacy consultant has said. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) reopened the investigation after a US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report found that Google had intercepted a wide range of personal data using its Street View mapping cars. The ICO wrote to Google on Tuesday to request information about whether the company had harvested personal data from unsecured UK Wi-Fi connections while gathering information for its Street View mapping service. The Information Commissioner's Office has reopened its investigation into the capture of unsecured household data by Google Street View cars.
Photo credit: Byrion on Flickr "Please list precisely what type of personal data and sensitive personal data was captured within the payload data collected within the UK? " Why the ICO has no idea if it can fine Google. The Information Commissioner’s Office has been telling journalists that it can’t fine Google over the Wi-Fi slurping scandal, saying the ability to apply monetary penalties to companies only came in after the incident in question — leaving its hands tied. But this is simply not true. At the moment, the ICO does not know if it can fine Google, so the possibility of £500,000 in punishment remains (though it sounds unlikely). Let me explain. On 27 April, the German authorities asked Google why its Street View camera cars were scanning Wi-Fi connections. Google said not to worry; it wasn’t picking up any private data.
On 13 May, Google admitted that it was wrong. On 29 July, the ICO said the data sample it viewed showed that no “meaningful” private information was collected by the cars. On 25 October, Google admitted it had picked up emails, URLs and passwords. Now here’s the other key date: 6 April. On the road… So how much data did Google collect in the UK in those five weeks? What’s going on? Online behavior tracking and privacy: 7 worst-case scenarios. If you've never been targeted by an ad because of your online behavior, then you're probably not paying attention.
More than 80 percent of advertising campaigns in 2009 involved tracking of some sort Privacy advocates argue that online tracking undermines citizen rights and is "Big-Brotherish" Concerns were part of what led the FTC to release a report last February (Mashable) -- If you've never been targeted by an ad because of your online behavior, then you're probably just not paying much attention. According to an informal survey by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), more than 80 percent of advertising campaigns in 2009 involved tracking of some sort.
The advertising business, in short, loves online tracking just about as much as privacy advocates hate it. Privacy advocates argue that online tracking undermines citizen rights and feels a little too big-brotherish for comfort. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left wondering what the big deal is. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Don't trust Google with anti-terror database, privacy watchdog warns.
GOOGLE cannot be trusted to help manage Britain's new anti-terror database, the UK Government's privacy watchdog said yesterday. Records of all communications, including e-mails, text messages and the use of Facebook, Twitter and Skype, will kept by the company and internet service providers for at least 12 months under a scheme being drawn up by the Home Office. Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, said that involving Google would be flawed after he found the company responsible for a "significant breach" of data protection rules.
The Government wants a record of all private communication after the police and security services insisted that it was essential in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. But it has dropped Labour's proposals for a central government database and has decided that individual companies will be required to keep details of customers' internet and telephone use but not the content of calls or messages. The Times. Google did breach UK data laws. The Information Commissioner’s Office has come forward to state the Google is indeed guilty of breaching UK data laws. The search giant did so when its Street View cars accidentally (according to Google) collected wi-fi data from unsecured networks across the UK. While the ICO investigation at first cleared Google of any wrongdoing, the body has changed its mind after it emerged last week that passwords and whole URLs and emails had been collected in the snooped data.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Google’s data protection practices will be audited, and the search company must promise that nothing like this will happen again (cross their web servers and hope to crash). However, no fine is to be levied on Google for its privacy faux-pas. UK Information Commissioner's Office Finds Google Street View Violated Data Protection Act. Googlegate: Mapping a scandal of global proportions. High performance access to file storage Isn't it all random noise? Now many people might ask what the data is worth?
Surely it is just random noise? This isn't the case, the data is incredibly rich as it contains the IP address of the user, the IP addresses of the services they are using, the content of those communications such as web pages or emails and more importantly it was tagged with GPS data. As many are aware, Google already stores and retains IP addresses and search data and over time builds up a profile of individuals based on their online behaviours, which it argues allows it to deliver more relevant advertising.
But one thing Google has not been able to do until now is accurately predict where you live (unless you tell them), as IP addresses are not generally registered to a real person – they are usually registered to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) which in turn allocates an IP address to you. The facts of the issue at hand are quite simply as follows: Newswireless.net .:. Features .:. net.wars: Wanted: less Sir Humphrey, … Seventeen MPs showed up for Thursday's Backbenchers' Committee debate on privacy and the Internet, requested by Robert Halfon (Con-Harlow).
They tell me this is a sell-out crowd. The upshot: Google and every other Internet company may come to rue the day that Google sent its Street View cars around Britain. It crossed a line. That line is this: "Either your home is your castle or it's not. " Halfon, talking about StreetView and email he had from a vastly upset woman in Cornwall whose home had been captured and posted on the Web.
It's easy for Americans to forget how deep the "An Englishman's home is his castle" thing goes. Halfon's central question: are we sleepwalking into a privatized surveillance society, and can we stop it? The response of the ICO, Halfon said, "has been more like Sir Humphrey than a shark with teeth, which is what it should be. " So Halfon wants two things. In the ensuing discussion many other issues were raised. Not that I agreed with all of them. But still. Wendy M. Google Street View: information commissioner shackled by Data Protection Act | Technology.
The UK information commissioner was prevented from taking stronger action against Google earlier this year after its Street View cars collected sensitive Wi-Fi because the Data Protection Act at the time limited his powers. Rob Halfon, the Conservative MP for Harlow, revealed today the information commissioner, Christopher Graham, told him his office was hamstrung by UK data protection legislation when it came to taking action against Google. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has since been given extra powers to fine organisations up to £500,000 for "serious breaches of the Data Protection Act".
The US technology company admitted earlier this year that its Street View cars had collected sensitive personal information – including whole emails, passwords and URLs – from some Wi-Fi users on unsecured networks while photographing UK locations. "I have subsequently spoken to the information commissioner. "Perhaps this is true. "[...] Net.wars: Wanted: less Sir Humphrey, more shark. Seventeen MPs showed up for Thursday's Backbenchers' Committee debate on privacy and the Internet, requested by Robert Halfon (Con-Harlow). They tell me this is a sell-out crowd. The upshot: Google and every other Internet company may come to rue the day that Google sent its Street View cars around Britain. It crossed a line. That line is this: "Either your home is your castle or it's not.
" Halfon's central question: are we sleepwalking into a privatized surveillance society, and can we stop it? The response of the ICO, Halfon said, "has been more like Sir Humphrey than a shark with teeth, which is what it should be. " Google is only one offender; Julian Huppert (LibDem-Cambridge) listed some of the other troubles, including this week's release of Firesheep, a Firefox add-on designed to demonstrate Facebook's security failings. So Halfon wants two things. In the ensuing discussion many other issues were raised. Not that I agreed with all of them. But still. To be continued... Wendy M. UK won't investigate Google over Wi-Fi snooping News - PC Adviso. The Information Commissioner's Office said it would not investigate Google over the recent revelation that its Street View cars have been mistakenly collecting data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks for three years. The search engine's error came to light after the German data protection authority audited the Wi-Fi data collected by Street View cars for use in location-based products such as Google Maps for mobile.
The authority revealed that as well as collecting SSID information (the network's name) and MAC addresses (the number given to Wi-Fi devices such as a router), Google had also been collecting payload data such as emails or web page content being viewed. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) told the Financial Times that despite the fact Google could possibly have broken the UK Data Protection Act, "the commissioner would not be taking further action against the company" after the search engine assured the organisation it would delete the data "as soon as reasonably possible".
Google Comes Clean on Street View Cars’ WiFi Data Collection - Kashmir Hill - The Not-So Private Parts. Information Commissioner reopens Google Wi-Fi case - V3.co.uk - formerly vnunet.com. Google under investigation by Met police. 23 June 2010Last updated at 13:53 Street View cars accidentally collected wi-fi data The UK's Metropolitan Police is to investigate Google over its capture of data from unsecured wi-fi networks, following a complaint from human rights group Privacy International. The data, scooped up by Google's Street View cars, may put the firm in breach of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa). It is likely that the police will interview Google staff in the UK. It is one of many ongoing global investigations into Google.
Police say the initial investigation will take around 10 days, after which it will be passed to a specialist team if it is established that Google was in breach of Ripa or the Wireless Telegraphy Act. The firm has admitted it collected data from unsecured wi-fi networks, although it said this was accidental. 'Come clean' It captured data in 30 countries, many of which are now investigating Google. Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, welcomed the police investigation. Google pressed on wi-fi snooping. 22 July 2010Last updated at 11:05 Google grabbed wi-fi data to help with location-based services Google is being pressed to name the engineers who wrote code that captured personal data from unsecured wi-fi networks. Google's Street View cars collected this data while taking photographs and gathering location data to create the search giant's imaging service.
The call to name the coders came from the coalition of 38 US states investigating the privacy breach. It also wants to know if Google tested the wi-fi code before it was used. "Google must come completely clean, fully explaining how this invasion of personal privacy happened and why," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who heads the 38-strong coalition investigating whether the search giant broke US law. Official probe Google has apologised for what it calls a "mistake" which resulted in it collecting personal data. In June, Mr Halfon tabled a Commons motion calling for a debate on the threat of a surveillance society. Google keeps Street View's UK Wi-Fi data as privacy group seeks. A Google Street View car on Coronation Street. It's not clear whether the Rovers Return has Wi-Fi. Photograph: Google Google is to retain data captured from UK home wireless networks while carrying out its Street View mapping until it receives more specific instructions from the UK Information Commissioner, it said today.
Update: the ICO said it has already told Google that the data can be deleted - but Google stated it will not do so yet. The company also faces the threat from the advocacy group Privacy International that it might be liable under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) for unlawful interception of users' data – and that the group may try to get the police to instigate an investigation. Google is already facing criminal investigations in Germany over its capture of the data from open Wi-Fi networks and faces further investigations from a number of European countries for possible breaches of data protection laws and, possibly, computer hacking. Google cleared of wi-fi snooping.
29 July 2010Last updated at 13:48 Google gathered wi-fi data in more than 30 nations Google did not grab "significant" personal details when collecting data from wi-fi networks, according to the UK's Information Commissioner Office (ICO). The finding came after the body reviewed some of the data Google scooped up from unsecured networks. Google said the data was "mistakenly" gathered while logging wi-fi hotspots to help with location-based services. The ICO said it would closely monitor other global investigations. Hotspot spotting Information about the gathering of personal data came to light following a request by data protection authorities in Hamburg, Germany, for more information about the operation of Google's Street View technology which adds images of locations to maps.
This revealed that Google had "accidentally" grabbed data from unsecured hotspots for years as its Street View cars captured images of street scenes. Privacy body to re-examine Google. 24 October 2010Last updated at 20:42 Google's Peter Barron: "We're determined to learn the lessons from this mistake" Britain's privacy watchdog is to look again at what personal information internet giant Google gathered from private wi-fi networks. The Information Commissioner's Office had investigated a sample earlier this year after it was revealed that Google had collected personal data during its Street View project. At the time, it said no "significant" personal details were collected. But Google has since admitted that e-mails and passwords were copied. On its official Google blog, senior vice president Alan Eustace wrote that the company was "mortified" to discover, after the initial investigation in May, that personal information had been collected.
Privacy watchdogs in numerous countries, including France, Germany and Canada, had also investigated the information. Enforcement powers However, Google's admission of more detailed data has prompted further action by the ICO. Google gets 1,116 UK gov't requests for user data News - PC Advi. Google investigated over household data privacy breaches | Technology.
Google spied on British emails and computer passwords. UK information commissioner: I don't want to declare war on Goog. Datonomy, the data protection weblog. UK data watchdog to quiz Google on Streetview Wi-Fi database • r.