Google will pay a $7 million fine to settle a multistate investigation into a snoopy software program that enabled the Internet search leader to intercept emails, passwords and other sensitive information sent several years ago over unprotected wireless networks in neighborhoods across the world. (source: The Economic Times)
The agreement announced Tuesday covers 38 states and the District of Columbia.It closes an inquiry opened in 2010 shortly after Google revealed that company cars taking street-level photos for its online mapping service also had been grabbing personal data transmitted over Wi-Fi networks that had been set up in homes and businesses without requiring a password to gain access.It’s the largest penalty that Google Inc. has paid so far in the U.S. for the snooping. News of the penalty leaked out last week.Google isn’t acknowledging any wrongdoing in the settlement. (sourche: Time Tech)
What is the use of having corporations pay big fines while they just shrug their shoulders and would rather act embarrassed about the fact that they got caught than change their behaviour for the good. What happened to the infamous slogan "Don't be evil" ?
More:
- Google Concedes That Drive-By Prying Violated Privacy (NY Times)
- Google hit by $7m Street View fine in US (BBC)
- Google pays $7M fine to settle Wi-Fi privacy case (The Economic Times)
- Google Pays $7 Million Fine to Settle Wi-Fi Privacy Case (Time Tech)
- Google pays $7M fine to settle Wi-Fi privacy case (phys.org)
- Google betaalt 5,4 miljoen euro privacyboete (deredactie.be, Dutch only)
- Did Google’s Promise to ‘Do No Evil’ Persuade the FTC to Do Nothing About Its Search Bias? (Time Tech)
- What Google’s FTC Deal Means for the Patent Wars (Time Tech)
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