Google, the pot and the kettle

Ned says:

09:56am | 20/05/10

We ignore this kind of behaviour because we’ve never been exposed to its worst excesses like so many European countries have. It’s also a little more subtle than your typical Stasi methods of collecting information, so we just don’t notice. I’m not one of those paranoid conspiracy thoerists, but I think we’d all be surpised at just how much personal information is held by not just governments, but private organisations as well. Perhaps we shoud start thinking about it a little more.

Dr. W says:

10:42am | 20/05/10

Google do not need to answer back to the government. What needs to be done is that at least EU starts aggressively investigating Google and starting making them accountable for every thing they have done wrong. Hopefully when EU has yet again- just look at the fines they gave Microsoft -taking a big company to trial other countries will dare to do the same.

It is scary to see how big Google has become, because now if they do something wrong they can just publicly say sorry and it was a mistake on their part; then magically everything is okay again.

I am impressed with what Japan did when they told Google that their Street View pictures were too invasive. So now Google is taking new Street View pictures because Japan had the balls to say no.

I understand that some find Street View very helpful, but seriously, people found their way to Australia first by exploring and later by using a map and navigation. Have we become that stupid that we can not find our way without knowing how a place looks like?

I stopped using Google products over a year ago as I do not trust Google anymore. A company that publically states that privacy doesn not exist anymore is not a company I am able to trust. Would you let a surgeon operate on you if he/she said that hygiene is overrated?

We have become too complacent. I just remember back in late ‘80s when I was a kid and this invasion of privacy we have now would be a total outrage.

neil says:

12:48pm | 20/05/10

If you have privacy concerns it’s the government you should be worried about.

Anyone can walk into a council office and access the electural roll and if they have your name they can get your address no questions asked. We are told that census information is only used by the ABS and is not shared with other govt departments, however I once changed address but had not changed my electural roll details, a few weeks after I had filled in the census forms I recieved a letter advising me my details had been changed.

In 2000 I like many people registered a company for GST but never used it, 12 months later I recieved a text message on an unlisted mobile phone advising that it was being monitored by the Federal Police, a few hours later I recieved a call from the ATO asking if I still required the GST registration.

Don’t worry about Google, worry about big brother.

Ben says:

02:29pm | 20/05/10

Im going to have to disagree with most posters here simply because most don’t know what they are talking about.
Information was only gathered from wireless networks that where not password protected. It takes about 15 seconds to put a password on a network and protect your privacy.
If its to complicated to do then your network should be set up by a professional. If I build my own house and made one wall entirely of glass, then complained that people where breaching my privacy by looking in from the street, I would be branded an idiot. Technology is no different. Educate yourself and protect your own privacy.

Stephen Wilson says:

03:27pm | 20/05/10

Ben, on the contrary, most of the critics of Google’s wifi collection do know what they’re talking about.  It is the purely technological (and unforgiving) viewpoint that people with insecure networks have no grounds to complain, that exhibits a lack of understanding. 

The likely breach of Google’s has to do with Information Privacy Law.  Most such law around the world basically prohibits the collection by corporations and agencies of personal information unless there is a good need to collect it, or if the invidiuals concerned have consented.  “Personal Information” is any information about an individual where their identity is apparent or may be readily determined.  Information Privacy Law also prohibits personal information collected for one puroose from being put to some other unrelated purpose, without consent.

Please understand this.  Under information privacy law, it doesn’t matter that a data source hasn’t been properly secured to your liking, nor that information is apparently “public” by virtue of appearing unencrypted in a wireless transmission.  Corporations are not allowed to collect personally identifiable information without a good reason, or without consent.

There has been some worthy debate about whether core wifi data like SSIDs and MACs is worthy of privacy protection, but that fine point was rightly swamped when Google admitted they had actually collected much much more, which we presume did include identifying details.

Chase says:

04:11pm | 20/05/10

Only stupid people let their wireless go unprotected. Even if it’s only WEP security, use it. You’re fooling yourself if you think you can get away with not using wireless security.

ForeShadow says:

08:06pm | 20/05/10

If you don’t want people knowing your SSID, then stop broadcasting it across your fence and out on to the road.

davido says:

09:29pm | 21/05/10

And how about they return some of the advertising revenue and taxes they have ripped out of the Australian Economy?

Harquebus says:

11:31am | 22/05/10

What really annoyed me was, Google went and photographed our front yards and didn’t tell until after the fact. Google are the biggest rogues on the planet.