Google ‘mortified’ by data scooping
p2pnet view P2P | Advertising:- ‘Google appoints new privacy director’ says a CBC headline to Google’s reaction to the latest revelation, from Canada, this time, that it’d been caught ‘accidentally’ scooping data from unsecured WiFi systems.
Her name is Alma Whitten ( right).
“We are mortifiedby what happened [scarfing up WiFi data for three years] but confident that these changes to our processes and structure will significantly improve our internal privacy and security practices for the benefit of all our users,” says Alan Eustace, Google’s senior vice-president of engineering and research in the CBC post.
The changes are the ‘appointment’ of Whitten as Gargle’s new privacy director “across both engineering and product management”, says the story, observing, “She will be responsible for building privacy controls into Google’s products and internal practices.”
“Mortified?” – says a Reader’s Write, incredulously. “They blew it off and said, ‘Skyhook does it‘.”
“Too little too late”, says the RW, continuing >>>
BTW, they already appointed the same person as “privacy Engineer elite” back in April! http://www.p2pnet.net/story/38356
Also, people who visit this very forum contracted Googles “Privacy Matters”
‘Dear Google privacy engineers … http://www.p2pnet.net/story/40263
Yet this same person blew people off. Now she is “Privacy Engineer Master elite”?
She already ignored people as “privacy Engineer” what does changing her title do?
This company and this privacy engineer is a total joke, farce, and a slap in the face.
This adds insult to injury.
Meanwhile, “Google is to be the focus of a parliamentary debate on privacy and the internet next week as the fallout over its collection of sensitive Wi-Fi data intensifies”, says the Guardian.
Rob Halfon, Conservative MP for Harlow, put forward an early day motion requesting the debate, quoting him as saying the UK is “potentially sleepwalking into a privatised surveillance society” and that tackling the issue in parliament is an important first stage, says the story, going on >>>
Halfon said he became more determined to seek a parliamentary debate when the UK information commissioner [ICO] ruled that Google was unlikely to have collected “significant amounts” of personal data or data likely to “cause any individual detriment”.
“I’m going to go through all the problems and address the lily-livered, limp-wristed response by the ICO which basically decided to do nothing. Google will take this seriously because it’s a parliamentary debate, not just a lone backbencher,” he added.
Stay tuned.
CBC – Google appoints new privacy director, October 22, 2010
‘accidentally’ scooping data – Canada: Google gets a free pass, October 20, 2010
Guardian – Google to be focus of parliament debate, cgtober 21, 2010
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
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October 23rd, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Italy orders Google to mark Street View cars: report
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69M14720101023
Italy’s privacy regulator has told Google Inc it will have to make sure its “Street View” photo-collecting cars are clearly marked and their itinerary is publicized, a daily newspaper reported on Saturday.
Under the regulator’s decision, Google has to publish three days in advance on its website, in local newspapers and on radio in which locality, including which area of a large city, the cars will be operating, La Stampa said.
—
I wonder if Italy’s privacy chef is telling people google could scarf up their data as they have in Canada and elsewhere around the world?
But fear not! Google has a new “Supreme Privacy Engineer” (who is the old “Privacy Engineer Supreme”).
October 24th, 2010 at 6:06 am
One day, when you can use VR to visit any place on Earth, all these people opposing Street View are going to be listed in the history books alongside the people who tried to get the first automobiles banned from city streets.
October 24th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
“…all these people opposing Street View are going to be listed in the history books alongside the people who tried to get the first automobiles banned from city streets.”
HEADLINE: Google fanboy compares a fish to a bicycle.
No news here.