Google vows to give accidentally collected Wi-Fi data to EU
updated 02:45 pm EDT, Fri June 4, 2010
Google to hand over private data to EU
Google will hand over the private Wi-Fi data it inadvertently collected when its Street View team was taking coverage videos. The data is initially being passed over to the German, French and Spanish data protection authorities. The information, gathered from unsecured private Wi-Fi networks, could land Google in the middle of a criminal investigation, as Germany is considering one of its own.
Google chief executive Eric Schmidt admits the company made a mistake, and aims to take measures to keep it from happening again. An external audit into the error was launched, while an internal review into its privacy practices will be conducted. Results of the internal review will be launched within a month. Another internal investigation is being conducted against a Google software engineer that wrote the code that was in clear violation of Google's rules. [via FT]
