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FCC Wants To Fine Google $25K For WiFi Investigation

Posted by samzenpus on from the dragging-your-feet dept.

An anonymous reader writes "It's good and bad news for Google. The FCC has ruled that Google did nothing wrong when it accidentally collected WiFi data with its Street View cars: '[The FCC] concluded that there was no precedent for the commissions' enforcement of the law in connection with WiFi networks. The FCC also noted that, according to the available evidence, Google only collected data from unencrypted WiFi networks, not encrypted ones, and that it never accessed or used the data.' However, they want to fine the company $25,000 because it 'deliberately impeded and delayed the investigation.'"

4 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Also known as by bobwrit · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Hey, our budget could very well get cut soon. Let's fine people for things!" That's what I suspect the FCC's reasoning is. They just wont admit it.

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    1. Re:Also known as by toddmbloom · · Score: 0, Informative

      The best browser in the marketplace would be Safari, followed by Opera, followed by Firefox.

      The adware-ridden, privacy failure known as Chrome would be near the bottom, by IE.

  2. Re:Google's excuse is a bit weak... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    How on earth does a "mistake" enable a StreetView Car to suddenly collect detailed Wifi hotspot data? Wouldn't the car need to be purposely equipped with software and antennas capable of this, and also explicitly configured to do so?

    The car was already equipped with software and antennas, apparently for building a database of open Wifi hotspots. This was not the problem. It was the accidental collection of payload, in particular, unencrypted payload, which was the mistake (and the problem.)

  3. Re:Google's excuse is a bit weak... by slimjim8094 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Even better than that, traffic logging is on by default in Kismet, the software they were using. It's more like they forgot to switch the option off.

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