UK data guardians on Google WiFi data gathering
p2pnet view P2P | Advertising:- Google may not care to pay attention to peoples’ (and governments’) concerns about its sneak view Street View advertising product but “Sharp criticism of Google in Germany has today prompted the UK’s privacy watchdog to quiz the firm over data its Street View cars have collected about Wi-Fi networks”, says The Register.
“Officials from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will seek details and assurances about the practice.”
I was wrong, I said in p2pnet last Thursday. “Google isn’t a giant advertising gorilla, as I’ve been saying.
“Der Spiegel describes it as a ‘data octopus’. Google Street View vehicles are “also equipped with a scanner for wireless networks”, it has German federal data protection commissioner Peter Schaar stating.
“This means it can scoop up private WLAN networks and record users’ unique Mac (Media Access Control) addresses.”
According to Gargle’s Kay Oberbeck, “It is important to know that this technical information will be made through a network of the operators available to the public”, said the story. “It is not a question of personally identifiable data. These data are both aggregated and anonymous and the survey is legitimate”, she adds.
The ICO has told The Register it (the ICO) been “unaware the Street View fleet has been recording the MAC addresses and locations of Wi-Fi networks as they photograph national road netwoks [sic]” until Schaar spoke up, says the story, going on:
“The ICO spokeswoman said British regulators are interested in how the data is being processed and used by Google. If the firm were collecting data on the security settings of Wi-Fi routers, she said, it would be asked to give assurances about what it might do with that information.”
In “an apparent response that did not directly reference the German criticism, on Friday Google emphasised the ability of smartphones to use Wi-Fi signals to calculate a more accurate location than by cell tower triangulation alone”, the story adds..
(Cheers, Marc)
..
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
The Register – UK data watchdog to quiz Google on Streetview Wi-Fi database, April 26, 2010
p2pnet – Google Street View cars scoop WiFi data, April 22, 2010
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April 26th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
“…Google emphasised the ability of smartphones to use Wi-Fi signals to calculate a more accurate location…”
Maybe I’m just “splitting hairs” here, but isn’t any “use” of these signals by anyone other than the subscribers supposed to be considered “theft of resources”??
April 26th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
The radio waves coming from your house is free for anyone to take and use. Its no different than someone taking a picture of your house. It’s no different than someone describing the color of your house.
Besides, all this was discussed when that Canadian privacy commissioner was involved. They investigated before Google Streetview ran it’s course and they investigated after. All parties knew. To say they are unaware is ludicrous. They chose to only focus on pictures. Street-level imaging doesn’t only focus on pictures of your house. They know this, but they chose to only focus on pictures as can be seen on their website, http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_39_prov_e.cfm.
Long story short, this is no different than taking a picture of your house.
Per your privacy commission,
“Street-level imaging applications use various means of photographing the streetscape.”
Radio-waves is one of them.
April 26th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Even the privacy commissioner of canada just said Google taking your MAC’s and coordinates for their product is cool.
“But what about the privacy risks inherent in, say, an app that helps you locate the nearest bus stop?”
See their latest blabbing here: http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/2010/04/26/incorporating-privacy-into-design-a-friendly-message-to-the-open-data-community/
They down play it as only being data given by your location aware gps enabled device, yet purposely ignored telling you that they allowed and approved the use of taking your data coming from your home as captured by streetview.
Hows that?
Maybe 10 countries should send them a PDF on protecting their own citizens privacy, or at least informing people when they didn’t, and instead hid it.
They shouldn’t be pointing fingers at anyone. Everything is well stated on Googles Privacy page.
So there was no “theft” when it has been approved by your “privacy watchdogs”.
April 27th, 2010 at 2:47 am
They (Google and government) approve of putting our private information online for all the world to see, even when we weren’t asked for permission. I say someone starts a website that posts the names, addresses and pictures of the house and person, of all the Google execs and government officials that approve of our privacy being violated.