Google Wi-Spy
Sarvesh Vichare
Google Inc. “Wi-Spy”, Privacy Rights In 2007, Google deployed cars equipped with digital cameras to capture street view images around the world in 30 different countries. But along with the digital camera, the vehicles were outfitted with off-the-shelf radio equipments and open-source software that enabled them to collect publicly available information on the unsecured Wi-Fi network. As European privacy authorities started investigating, in 2010 Google admitted publicly the capturing of SSID information and MAC addresses, with a reason so-called “location aware” service. The idea was Wi-Fi networks had limited range, the presence of such network acts as a unique geographical landmark. Knowing the combination of the Wi-Fi network in range of their devices allows individuals to pinpoint their approximate location in situations where satellite-based Global Positioning Service (GPS) is either inconvenient or unavailable [ (Benjamin Joffe v. Google Inc. 2012) ]. But later it was learned that they have being collecting more than just identifying information from the Wi-Fi network, so they again acknowledge capturing “fragmentary” payload data. Canadian officials who examined data samples said it was more than fragmentary. They found complete email messages, cookies, chat sessions and login credentials, according to an FCC report. French officials found data related to online dating and pornographic sites, and an email exchange between a man and a woman seeking an extramarital relationship [ (Graham 2013) ]. Google has admitted its mistake, but maintained that the collection wasn 't illegal because the data was collected from public locations and broadcast by the victims in plain text, even though it agreed to pay $7 million filed by 37 states and District of Columbia, the episode has being embarrassing were in they repeatedly stated implementation of new procedures to prevent such episode by even posting [ (Securing Wi-Fi Network 2013) ] on its
Google Inc. “Wi-Spy”, Privacy Rights In 2007, Google deployed cars equipped with digital cameras to capture street view images around the world in 30 different countries. But along with the digital camera, the vehicles were outfitted with off-the-shelf radio equipments and open-source software that enabled them to collect publicly available information on the unsecured Wi-Fi network. As European privacy authorities started investigating, in 2010 Google admitted publicly the capturing of SSID information and MAC addresses, with a reason so-called “location aware” service. The idea was Wi-Fi networks had limited range, the presence of such network acts as a unique geographical landmark. Knowing the combination of the Wi-Fi network in range of their devices allows individuals to pinpoint their approximate location in situations where satellite-based Global Positioning Service (GPS) is either inconvenient or unavailable [ (Benjamin Joffe v. Google Inc. 2012) ]. But later it was learned that they have being collecting more than just identifying information from the Wi-Fi network, so they again acknowledge capturing “fragmentary” payload data. Canadian officials who examined data samples said it was more than fragmentary. They found complete email messages, cookies, chat sessions and login credentials, according to an FCC report. French officials found data related to online dating and pornographic sites, and an email exchange between a man and a woman seeking an extramarital relationship [ (Graham 2013) ]. Google has admitted its mistake, but maintained that the collection wasn 't illegal because the data was collected from public locations and broadcast by the victims in plain text, even though it agreed to pay $7 million filed by 37 states and District of Columbia, the episode has being embarrassing were in they repeatedly stated implementation of new procedures to prevent such episode by even posting [ (Securing Wi-Fi Network 2013) ] on its
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