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Thread ID: 110262 2010-06-09 21:48:00 Web Giant Google Faces NZ Police Probe. Trev (427) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1108590 2010-06-10 01:58:00 It might be worthy of an investigation if it was purposely done or not.

If I purposely or not purposely went around and gathered info off unsecured wireless - I could be investigated. Esp for Google, you would think they know better.

It's like a shop, if you accept people's eftpos / credit card details and personal info if you draw out contracts with them, you have to deal with them approp. You cannot say to them, you give your info to me in good faith and what I do with them does not rest with me.
Nomad (952)
1108591 2010-06-10 02:47:00 It's like saying every car owner should know how to change the oil, change a tyre, jump start it and change a blown bulb ....

I would say that every can owner should be able to do those things.

it the same with anything...

I know nothing about guns, but if I went out a got a gun I would learn about how it works and how to care for it.
robsonde (120)
1108592 2010-06-10 02:53:00 I would say that every can owner should be able to do those things.

it the same with anything...

I know nothing about guns, but if I went out a got a gun I would learn about how it works and how to care for it.

lol. I think most of the people won't have cars then.
Nomad (952)
1108593 2010-06-10 04:50:00 It might be worthy of an investigation if it was purposely done or not.

If I purposely or not purposely went around and gathered info off unsecured wireless - I could be investigated. Esp for Google, you would think they know better.

It's like a shop, if you accept people's eftpos / credit card details and personal info if you draw out contracts with them, you have to deal with them approp. You cannot say to them, you give your info to me in good faith and what I do with them does not rest with me.

They must have known they were collecting that data, simply due to the size of that data, and hte size of hardrives they were using to collect it. They certainly should have asked permission from the NZ gov before collecting all that information and going around photographing peoples houses. If anyone else was photographing your house, they would call it creepy.
robbyp (2751)
1108594 2010-06-10 07:42:00 I think it was "accidental".

How on earth do you "accidentally" write a program which gathers data packets on unsecured networks? I find it extremely hard to believe that the skilled developers at Google "mistakingly" built a feature into their StreetView vehicles which not only captured vast amounts of data from unencrypted networks, but also stored it and sent it back to HQ. This would have been a feature which was planned, developed, and tested before being deployed.

While internet banking etc. done via SSL is probably fine, it is not uncommon for people to have highly sensitive data stored on their PC in documents and spreadsheets, which they could be transferring from machine to machine. Google could have taken sensitive data, digital intellectual property, etc. etc. Consider this - if you leave your front door open, you put yourself at risk of having something stolen from your house. Does it mean burglary is ethical or legal? No. If you leave your WiFi network unencrypted, you put yourself at risk of people being able to see what you're doing on that network. This is essentially the same thing.
somebody (208)
1108595 2010-06-10 08:52:00 How on earth do you "accidentally" write a program which gathers data packets on unsecured networks? I find it extremely hard to believe that the skilled developers at Google "mistakingly" built a feature into their StreetView vehicles which not only captured vast amounts of data from unencrypted networks, but also stored it and sent it back to HQ. This would have been a feature which was planned, developed, and tested before being deployed.

While internet banking etc. done via SSL is probably fine, it is not uncommon for people to have highly sensitive data stored on their PC in documents and spreadsheets, which they could be transferring from machine to machine. Google could have taken sensitive data, digital intellectual property, etc. etc. Consider this - if you leave your front door open, you put yourself at risk of having something stolen from your house. Does it mean burglary is ethical or legal? No. If you leave your WiFi network unencrypted, you put yourself at risk of people being able to see what you're doing on that network. This is essentially the same thing.

:thumbs:
Nomad (952)
1108596 2010-06-10 09:28:00 How on earth do you "accidentally" write a program which gathers data packets on unsecured networks? I find it extremely hard to believe that the skilled developers at Google "mistakingly" built a feature into their StreetView vehicles which not only captured vast amounts of data from unencrypted networks, but also stored it and sent it back to HQ. This would have been a feature which was planned, developed, and tested before being deployed.
Was the software actually developed by Google? I thought it was a third-party firmware that was further customised by Google developers?
Renmoo (66)
1108597 2010-06-10 09:42:00 Was the software actually developed by Google? I thought it was a third-party firmware that was further customised by Google developers?

Have a look at the "independent" report they commissioned: static.googleusercontent.com
somebody (208)
1108598 2010-06-10 11:10:00 Talk about making a mountain out of a mole-hill !!

Google (through Gmail) has access to millions of complete emails a day (not just snippets as here) - is anyone investigating that ??

They might be reading them all !!
What about Xtra and Telstraclear ? who is silly enough to trust them with their e-mails??

let's complain about that - what is the name of that police officer ??
decibel (11645)
1108599 2010-06-10 11:13:00 I'd just like to assure the Privacy Commissioner that Google obtained absolutely nothing that was private when they went past my place.

I would like to advise the people who think they have something to worry about with regard Google driving past, Google is the least of your worries.

The Privacy Commissioner should be charged with wasting Police time.
Twelvevolts (5457)
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