Google Says It Mistakenly Collected Wi-Fi Data While Mapping

Even if Google says there's nothing to worry about, newviewmedia.com writes, the company "said it would stop collecting Wi-Fi network data from its StreetView cars, after an internal investigation it conducted found it was accidentally collecting data about websites people were visiting over the hotspots. From the WSJ article: 'It's now clear that we have been mistakenly collecting samples of payload data from open [i.e. non-password-protected] Wi-Fi networks, even though we never used that data in any Google products.'"

Comments

Suuuuure It Was A Mistake ...

[WrongSizeGlass]

They're probably worried about some legal complications ... or even German WiFi police ;-)

New portmanteau : Google + Oops! = Goops!

Re:Hey,

[Mordok-DestroyerOfWo]

An open network, much like an unlocked door or a drunkenly passed out girl is not an invitation for invasion. Granted like most people here I use WPA and don't even broadcast my AP. I agree with you that it is stupid practice, but that doesn't make intrusion morally right.

Re:Sounds like my daughter when she was 6

[Anne_Nonymous]

You forgot the other appropriate responses:

"What drawings?"
"I didn't do it."
"Pooh Bear did it."
"Davy did it."
"Davy made me do it."
"Davy told me to do it."

and the ever popular,

"I love you, Daddy."

Re:I use Google a lot but...

[Ossifer]

I accidentally gathered the credit cards numbers of all my neighbors.... Oops.

Re:Hey,

[Mordok-DestroyerOfWo]

What Ben Roethlisberger does on his own time is his business.