Google got information it shouldn’t have. Are you giving away information you shouldn’t?
Google got information it shouldn’t have. Are you giving away information you shouldn’t?
Google has these cars. And they drive around neighborhoods all over the world taking pictures, which are then used for Google Maps and Google Earth, to show what places look like. A few weeks ago, we found out that Google was collecting data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks in people’s houses as they drove by in these cars. Google says it was accidental, they didn’t know they had it, it was just meaningless bits of data anyway and they’re working with authorities in various governments to delete it.
We dedicated a show to this weeks ago when various governments were threatening Google with legal action. Since then, the issue hasn’t gone away. In fact, it’s intensified. A French data protection agency says Google was capturing meaningful information like email addresses and passwords. Back in the US, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Monday he’s leading an investigation of Google’s practices.
But hold on: is this really JUST Google’s problem? What about all those people who were sending unprotected information out over their routers at home? Shouldn’t they be a little more careful about what they’re beaming out to the world? We talk to Google guru Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land about the facts of the case. We also check in with Glenn Fleishman of Wi-Fi Networking News to find out how to make sure you’re not oversharing with any car that drives by.
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