Codenstuff.com

Saw this on AOL :(

Internet search engine Google has admitted copying household computer passwords and emails, it has been revealed.

The company collected the information from wireless networks when its vehicles drove around residential streets taking photographs for its worldwide Street View product, which was launched in 2008.

Anti-surveillance campaigners have described the error as "outrageous" and the privacy watchdog has launched an investigation.

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter RSS It is not yet known whether UK homes were affected by the security breach.

Alan Eustace, Google's vice-president of engineering and research, said: "We want to delete this data as soon as possible, and I would like to apologise again for the fact that we collected it in the first place.

"We are mortified by what happened."

Google, which is based in California, admitted in May that it had collected information about the name and location of wireless networks not protected by passwords.

But now seven privacy regulators have analysed the data and revealed the full extent of what was copied.

Mr Eustace said: "It's clear from those inspections that while most of the data is fragmentary, in some instances entire emails and URLs [web addresses] were captured, as well as passwords.

"We want to delete this data as soon as possible."

**Makes you think tho does'nt it :?

Chris

uh oh ; google means youtube too :?

Well, i don't really understand, what information did they collect?

Edit* now i understand.

Good that i wasn't in the UK and live there. (no offence).
I also saw this in another website:

In addition to the Wi-Fi issue, it also recently came to light that Google fired an employee who was accessing data from teenage Gmail users.

it had collected information about the name and location of wireless networks not protected by passwords

They would have also captured data coming through these unsecured wireless networks at that time. Anyone can do this though, just google did it by accident apparently.

The trouble with today is that Information is really big Money, I cant believe that they would just dump it all, when Someone could sell it on to all these idiots who keep sending out Junk Mail, Hackers,Phishers. Dont forget they have had this info for years now :( and its only come to light now...Why they did not delete it as course when they must have known they collected it :( is beyond me

Chris

I saw the google car :O

Lewis wrote:

I saw the google car :O

how rare lol

:O Well, I do not need to worry. Why would Google come to my street? It is a private street. Oh well, Google is still awesome, they just have flaws. @HH If they collected it accidentally, then they would not know they had it, so they couldn't delete it. Now, they found it, and are trying to delete it.

iF Google were taking Pictures Innocently, Why did they need to access other peoples wireless Networks, and also if they did collect the info then they would have to have a server or something in place to Store it all, So i dont believe they didnt know about it, as they are a Global Business and are NO stranger to Logging peoples data :(

Google have been introuble for stuff like this before when "accidentally" getting peoples personal information. Thats why I almost never use my real details when signing upto a website etc...never use my real name/address or anything like that unless I have to for paying bills and stuff.

If Google were just scanning for free wifi hotspots then the only info they would have needed was the name of the wifi and its location..why did they "accidentally" access passwords and stuff because thats data that being transmitted through the wifi and not the name/location of the wifi :? silly Google.