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Google Admits To Collecting Emails and Passwords
wiredmikey writes "Alan Eustace, Google's Senior VP of Engineering & Research, just put up an interesting blog post on how Google will be creating stronger privacy controls. Right at the end is an interesting admission: that after Streetview WiFi Payload data was analyzed by regulators, their investigations revealed that some incredibly private information was harvested in some cases. Eustace noted that 'It's clear from those inspections that while most of the data is fragmentary, in some instances entire emails and URLs were captured, as well as passwords.'"
Google did not drive around for the purpose of harvesting passwords from unsecured WiFi connections. It inadvertently recorded some data that was broadcast and somewhere buried in it were some e-mail addresses and passwords.
If someone stands at their front door with bullhorn shouting out their social security numbers, salaries, sexual orientation and other private details, it isn't the responsibility of passers-by to cover their ears.
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
If you care, you have to encrypt a lot more than just your wifi. The guys at your ISP can see the stuff just the same as Google.
=~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
Ok hang on a second. Let's slow down with the inflammatory headlines here, okay? The Google Street View cars picked up partial hashes of data from unsecured routers. And as far as Google "admitting" to collecting the data, that was something they announced last May. So put down your rape whistle, kdawson, there's nothing sinister going on here.