Google Tweaks Privacy Policy After Wi-Fi Snare

Google found itself in hot water back in May when it revealed that its camera-equipped Street View cars had accidentally snared Internet transmissions, or payload data, from unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Now, the company confirms that some of that data included entire emails, URLs and passwords.

The resulting fallout has seen numerous countries open investigations into Google’s Street View project and broader privacy practices. Now, the company is apologizing again for the gaff, and detailing a new set of internal privacy mechanisms to better protect users’ information in future products and services. eSecurity Planet has the latest on Google’s privacy overhaul and the Street View controversy.

Google has announced a set of changes to its internal privacy controls in response to the revelations earlier this year about that the search giant had inadvertently collected users’ Internet transmissions over unsecured Wi-Fi networks.

That high-profile gaff, which resulted from a piece of experimental software that was included in the camera-equipped cars Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) dispatched to collect images for its Street View project, provoked a torrent of scrutiny and criticism, with regulators and privacy officials in nations around the world launching investigations.

Read the full story at eSecurity Planet:


Google Revamps Privacy Practices Following Wi-Fi Snag