Google Fined for Impeding Investigation Into Why ‘Street View’ Project Collected Personal Data
- Posted on April 16, 2012 at 9:57am by
Liz Klimas
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Google's street view cars were found to be collecting data from nearby wireless networks in 2010. The FCC recently concluded an investigation finding this action was not illegal but imposed a $25,000 on the company for impeding the investigation.
You may remember when it was revealed Google’s Street View cars were collecting more than just images and GPS coordinates. It was found in 2010 the company had “accidentally” sopped up personal data via wireless networks in 30 countries. For this infraction, the Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation and found the collection of this info wasn’t necessarily illegal. Still, the company has now been fined for deliberately impeding the investigation.
The New York Times considers the issuing of this fine and “exasperated tone” in the FCC’s report as a “contrast” to its previous stance on accepting Google’s explanation that the company was “mortified” it had been accidentally collecting private data. The Times has more from the FCC’s report:
“Although a world leader in digital search capability, Google took the position that searching its employees’ e-mail ‘would be a time-consuming and burdensome task,’ ” the report said. The commission also noted that Google stymied its efforts to learn more about the data collection because its main architect, an engineer who was not identified, had invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
When the commission asked Google to identify those responsible for the program, Google “unilaterally determined that to do so would ‘serve no useful purpose,’ ” according to the F.C.C. report.
For reasons such as these, the FCC felt it appropriate to hit Google with a $25,000 fine for violating the Communications Act of 1934, even though it was ultimately determined Google’s accidental collection of the data was not illegal because the information was not encrypted. The investigation also determined that no data collected was misused. The Times reports that Canada and some European regulators in their own investigations found some of the information collected included passwords, full emails and instant messages.
While Google’s spokesperson has said the company “worked in good faith to answer the FCC’s questions” and it is pleased to have the investigation end, PC World is not one to give up on questioning the company just yet. It thinks this lack of compliance poses the still valid question, “What is Google hiding?”
Consumers and advocacy groups have often criticized Google’s seemingly insatiable appetite for personal information, such as its recent consolidation of its privacy policies so as to have a better view into user behaviors and preferences. Because of the amount of attention those privacy concerns have garnered, you‘d think a policy of transparency on Google’s part would bode well with those who have doubts about whether or not the company can be trusted with increasing amounts of personal data.
Even if Google’s snooping was a mistake, and even if it had nothing to hide, a $25,000 fine for not cooperating with this investigation seems a bit small.
The Times reports chief of the FCC’s enforcement bureau Michele Ellison saying the fine was appropriate based on the evidence. The Times notes in Europe the company was fined $140,000 for privacy violations in its Street View project.
USA Today (via Gizmodo) reports Google can appeal this fine. Ellison stated this case is an opportunity to educate the public on the vulnerabilities of unencrypted wireless networks.
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TRILO
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 11:33pmThey may have the motto “Don’t Be Evil” but it is applied to everyone but Google. I have taken the Google search bar off my computer and I refuse to use anything owned by Google.
Report Post »Abraham Young
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 9:34amWho is the FCC and why can they issue fines?
Read your Constitution people. This is why you are losing your country.
Report Post »Shiroi Raion
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 8:28amI found something disturbing. I looked up my name on the net and found that someone screwed up. The info these people finders have… they have me confused with someone that has the same name. This has happened to me before. I got someone else’s bills a couple times, so I recognized the data as that other person again. I had a tough time getting the bills dropped. The company kept saying that the problem was corrected, but then I kept getting the bills again and again. This could be dangerous. I have no criminal record, but if these personal info collectors collect incorrect data (as I now know they absolutely do)… innocent people can be hurt or criminalized by false data.
Report Post »Luckily, it appears that my “alter ego” also has no criminal record, but it‘s unlikely that I’m the only one that has incorrect info available on the net for anyone to see. It’s possible that employers search for personal data and deny innocent citizens work… or maybe even worse could happen. No one should be collecting data on me anyways. As I said, I have no criminal record and gave no one consent to make my info available. I thought there were privacy laws…
pamela kay
Posted on April 18, 2012 at 1:52amSHIROI RAION, I know of many friends that have had the same problem. Here in Oho we were shocked when we recieved our taxes. It had a colored photo of our house and property on the front of the envelpoe on our tax bill. Seriously? Have any of you recieved anything like this in your county of your state?
Report Post »rock no
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 7:37amanyone match this up with those KGB Utube videos that say the commies are gathering a ‘who is who list’ in order to kill those the commies don’t like?
there seems to be a lot of this “gathering & listing for one reason or someother”
trying to find out who is on what side
just thinkin
Report Post »pothos42
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 7:24pmIf a company has to adopt the motto “Don’t be Evil” in order to remind them of something that should be obvious, what other basic precepts of humanity are they ignoring?
Report Post »alexegz30
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 3:28pmFined? How is it that a company can do what amounts to a multi-country invasive surveillance and get fined? No arrests for those who did the intel gathering? No investigation to see who it was that gave the orders to gather the information or ensure the spy equipment was included in each vehicle?
If you go to any big company and check their IT department, you’ll see that every piece of equipment is not only checked repeatedly, but it must also be signed for and approved before sent out. It isn’t like they forgot to turn off the camera before driving by a secure area, they had equipment specifically designed to gather this private data while scouring these 30 countries. This is just another example of how incompetent the DOJ has become.
Report Post »Beachbaby
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 2:01pmI heard they are creating maps for a govt body for future attacks on usa citizens.
Report Post »JEANNIEMAC
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 1:01pmhttp://youtu.be/rqTcXu3swSE
Report Post »This video explains the plan in effect by H.A.A.R.P.,Agenda 21 and Google, to alter the human genome and produce a species of human that is compliant and obedient to the “intellectual elite and world bankers, as spoken of by David Rockefeller in 1991 at a Bilderberger conference.
COFemale
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 11:45amMaybe people should sue Google for privacy violations. Even if the wireless data was unencrypted or unsecured, the person in which they collected the data was not aware their data was being collected. Now grant you if you open yourself up to a unsecured wireless connection, you must be aware that information can be collected on you without your knowledge. What if they collected secured data that was at the time of collection unsecured because of a “hacking”? Now they are in possession of illegal data.
Any data collection comes with issues, we just need to hold people accountable for their actions.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 12:05pmYou would think some lawyer .. would come up with a class action on these wouldn’t you.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 11:29am“Your papers, NOW!’ , will have an entirely new meaning in the very near future. The classics ‘1984’ & ‘Fahrenheit 451’ come to mind, along with a few less known future history novels.
Report Post »spirited
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 11:16amWHERE is the accidentally gathered information stored ?
Repeatedly we hear from politicians, their surrogates, media, athletes, etc –and Google:
“That’s not what I meant”, “I didn’t know”, “It was an accident”, “I apologize”, –”I’m SORRY”,
….Pay a fine –and uh–, let’s move on???
Apologies and fines DO NOT erase the dirty deeds done !
A $25,000.oo fine to Google is akin to, ‘Say three Hail Marys…’ –from the confessional.
– PLEASE, enough already! Where’s the data Google “accidentially” collected???
Barack Obama had [the audacity to have] said “…this is not a Christian Nation…”;
Yet, redemption is what all of these false apologizers are banking on.
>?
Report Post »Slowman101
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 10:32amGoogle thinks they are above the rules when it suits them.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 10:20amCome on Google, learn the rules. Only Holder is allowed to impede investigations.
Report Post »Tickdog
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 10:27amlol!! exactly!
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 10:04amSounds like Google learned a few things from Holder! ‘Consumers and advocacy groups have often criticized Google’s seemingly insatiable appetite for personal information.’ THAT, too, sounds VERY FAMILIAR! hahaha Investigations mean NOTHING anymore unless it’s investigating anti-Obama activity! Then it’s all hands on deck!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 10:01amOh, yeh… a Fine will really Hurt!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 16, 2012 at 10:23amYes .. that will teach them (sarcasm).. go ahead and do whatever you want … and then just “pay” us (the government) later .. how does that protect the citizens?
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