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My Location the Next Google Privacy Controversy?

Posted by samzenpus on from the learning-to-trust-the-google dept.

theodp writes "While Google boasts one of its Privacy Principles is making the collection of personal information transparent, even techies are left guessing about what's going on behind the scenes of certain products. The American Dictator points out that Google's Wi-Fi collection efforts don't stop with its Street View cars, offering up this explanation of Google's My Location: 'When you allow Google to "know your location," what you are really agreeing to is to send to Google's computers your Wi-Fi environment — not only the name of the Wi-Fi hotspot you are logged into, but also the names and signal strengths of every Wi-Fi hotspot around you. In other words, the same things that those Google Street View cars were sucking up as they drove by your house.' So, will changes in privacy attitude prompt changes in Latitude?"

8 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Pfew! by RivenAleem · · Score: 2, Funny

    This make me glad I never use he internet, ever.

  2. Dear taliban by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Don't use this feature! It's linked to Googlepredator.

  3. Holy shit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You mean that in order to use a service that uses your Wifi surroundings to determine your location, you have to send the service data about your Wifi surroundings? Holy shit!

    Next, you'll tell me you have to send your private, personal *search terms* to Google to get search results - the horror!

  4. Privacy by dandart · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm a government spy, you insensitive clods!

  5. Re:Does anyone actually use that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I use it on a regular basis. I also have no issue with anybody knowing exactly where I am at any given moment.

    even the wife knows where the mistresses house is, and how often I'm there! I just hope the rental company doesn't know I'm having to drive a kilometer over their daily limit each time, (I drive it in reverse for one KM on the way back!) /sarcasm

  6. Re:I don't understand either side of this by vlm · · Score: 2, Funny

    And I don't understand why Google wants that information in the first place.

    Maybe they think its hilarious to run "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM WIFI_GEOLOCATION_TABLE WHERE SSID='Linksys'"

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
  7. Re:Not unusual by RivenAleem · · Score: 5, Funny

    Careful, that'll put you right onto a motorway, where you'll get hit by a car, and it'll be Google's fault

  8. Re:It's astonishing how people don't understand ra by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 3, Funny

    I completely agree, it's surprising how many people think that when they send something to EVERYONE, that they have no ability to tell EVERYONE that "that was a secret. don't tell anybody, K?"

    Interestingly, that seems to be DirecTV's business model.