Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • Mobile
    • Storage

    Privacy Advocates Call for New Google Probe Over Street View

    Written by

    Jeff Burt
    Published April 17, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Google may have escaped a Federal Communications Commission inquiry into its collection of sensitive personal data through its Street View project with a $25,000 fine, but the troubles may not be over for the Internet giant.

      The FCC on April 13 fined Google for impeding its investigation into the company€™s collection of personal data between 2007 and 2010 when Google vehicles traveled through dozens of countries as part of Street View, which gives users of Google Maps and Google Earth the ability to see street-level images of locations.

      The company not only collected WiFi data for its location services efforts, but also sensitive personal information from consumers and businesses€”from email messages and passwords to texts and Internet use histories. The revelation in 2010 caused a firestorm around Google, whose officials initially denied the allegations, then admitted that the data had been collected inadvertently.

      The FCC kicked off an investigation, but closed it last week. The commissioners said there was no clear precedent in FCC policies covering WiFi networks, and that due to Google€™s lack of cooperation with the agency, there was not enough information available to make a ruling.

      Consumer privacy groups and politicians are now pushing for a larger investigation into the matter, blasting Google for not cooperating with the FCC and questioning why the agency let off Google with such a small fine.

      The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) sent a letter April 15 to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder calling on his office to pick up the investigation.

      €œBy the agency€™s own admission, the investigation conducted was inadequate and did not address the applicability of federal wiretapping laws to Google€™s interception of emails, user names, passwords, browsing histories and other personal information,€ EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg wrote. €œGiven the inadequacy of the FCC€™s investigation and the law-enforcement responsibilities of the attorney general, EPIC urges you to investigate Google€™s collection of personal WiFi data from residential networks.€

      U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and former chairman of the Communications, Technology and Internet Subcommittee, said he wanted Congress to continue putting pressure on Google and other Internet companies to make the protection of private information a priority.

      “Google’s Street View cars drove right over consumers’ personal privacy while cruising city streets and neighborhoods,€ Markey said in a statement. €œConsumers saw their WiFi morph into ‘Spy-Fi’. The FCC was correct to fine Google for this breach and to cite the company’s recalcitrance in providing timely and comprehensive information in support of the Commission’s investigation. However, I am concerned that more needs to be done to fully investigate the company’s understanding of what happened when consumer data was collected without their knowledge or permission. This fine is a mere slap on the wrist for Google.€

      In its 25-page finding, the FCC said Google €œdeliberately impeded and delayed€ the FCC€™s investigation. The company refused to provide much of the information and documents€”such as internal emails€”commissioners requested, or many of the names of those involved in collecting the data. The key Google engineer who created the software used to collect the WiFi data declined to testify at a deposition€”invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination€”which the FCC said left open many questions that investigators could not answer.

      €œWe€™re pleased that the FCC called Google out for its blatantly obstructionist violations, but $25,000 is chump change to an Internet giant like Google,€ John Simpson, director of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog€™s Privacy Project, said in a statement. €œBy willfully violating the Commission€™s orders, Google has managed to continue to hide the truth about Wi-Spy. Google wants everyone else€™s information to be accessible, but in a demonstration of remarkable hypocrisy, stonewalls and keeps everything about itself secret.€

      Google executives disagreed with the FCC€™s characterization of their cooperation, and said in a statement that they would be filing a response.

      Google and other Internet giants, such as Facebook and Apple, have come under increasing scrutiny and criticism in recent years over the amount of personal information they collect on their customers and how they use that data, including giving advertisers access to it to enable them to better target personalized ads to users. Google earlier this year changed its privacy policies, a move that raised concerns in both the United States and Europe.

      Markey questioned Google€™s commitment to protecting user privacy. Taking the FCC€™s findings, €œcoupled with the company’s recent changes to its privacy policy, it seems as if Google is making a U-turn in its commitment to protect consumer privacy as embodied in its settlement with the FTC.”

      As part of a 2011 settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over privacy questions surrounding their Buzz social network, Google executives agreed to independent privacy audits for the next 20 years.

      Several European countries have fined Google over the Street View situation, and more than two-dozen state attorney general offices are still investigating.

      Jeff Burt
      Jeff Burt
      Jeffrey Burt has been with eWEEK since 2000, covering an array of areas that includes servers, networking, PCs, processors, converged infrastructure, unified communications and the Internet of things.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×