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| Thread ID: 109581 | 2010-05-13 23:49:00 | Google Streetview also was Wardriving! | 6ix (15746) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 884718 | 2010-05-14 03:00:00 | You can download a Windows application that can bypass the MAC address and give out a different one, can you not? www.technitium.com |
KarameaDave (15222) | ||
| 884719 | 2010-05-14 03:04:00 | They don't need or want your "data", they want your "profile". The point being that they can tie that MAC address to a physical street address, as well as every 'google search' and every visit to a 'google-analytics' enabled website (try finding one that isn't) through that connection. Can you imagine a random stranger surfing your street on 'street view', clicks on your house, then the "View search history" button? Oh, I see he's recently visited www.buy-big-ass-tvs.co.nz, might go check it out while he's at work. etc. etc. OK, so the data being available to prospective burglars is a bit of a stretch, but in principle, the collection and linking of all of this "public" information about YOU makes this a plausible scenario. |
fred_fish (15241) | ||
| 884720 | 2010-05-14 04:44:00 | Burglars are okay (sort of) because of their limited resources. What worries me is the sinking feeling that the gummint will be blundering about, abusing this data like a maddened bull in a china shop. They will be annoying me, and I will be paying them to do it. Also, we will be the ones springing for the overpriced, over quantity and over specified equipment they will be misusing. Of course, the Government may act responsibly in the face of this tempting array of data, but that would mean a lot more Tui billboards. |
R2x1 (4628) | ||
| 884721 | 2010-05-14 06:46:00 | always wondered how their did wifi assisted gps | plod (107) | ||
| 884722 | 2010-05-14 09:33:00 | Can you imagine a random stranger surfing your street on 'street view', clicks on your house, then the "View search history" button? Oh, I see he's recently visited www.buy-big-ass-tvs.co.nz, might go check it out while he's at work. etc. etc. OK, so the data being available to prospective burglars is a bit of a stretch, but in principle, the collection and linking of all of this "public" information about YOU makes this a plausible scenario. Yeah, but by that logic, and common statistical knowledge about internet traffic, much of the houses in the world will be packed to the rafters with real live porn stars and silicon stuffed bimbos. Add in a few Nigerian scammers and viagra salesmen to most houses as well. Joking aside though, your original comment is a valid concern. While I typically have the attitude that privacy freaks and civil libertarians can go drown in their own stupidity, I do have to admit that google has the potential to approach and cross a very fine line, very very easily. Gooooogle=Spoooooky |
Paul.Cov (425) | ||
| 884723 | 2010-05-14 09:46:00 | The point being that they can tie that MAC address to a physical street address, as well as every 'google search' and every visit to a 'google-analytics' enabled website (try finding one that isn't) through that connection. Physical address yes, but not your searching as an IP packet doesn't contain your MAC address, only your IP address. |
decibel (11645) | ||
| 884724 | 2010-05-14 13:20:00 | Physical address yes, but not your searching as an IP packet doesn't contain your MAC address, only your IP address. This is correct, but it would be trivial for one of the MANY bits of google code running on your PC to extract it & submit it as part of a UID. It would not surprise me if it is already being done routinely, as the number of different devices a consumer uses would be a valuable bit of demographic data. |
fred_fish (15241) | ||
| 884725 | 2010-05-17 00:36:00 | Imagine the outcry, Senate hearings & massive fines if Microsoft had done this. | sroby (11519) | ||
| 884726 | 2010-08-03 12:29:00 | Looks like an update on this. www.bbc.co.uk Should I be worried? |
Snorkbox (15764) | ||
| 884727 | 2010-08-03 12:48:00 | What I find interesting is that nobody worries about Skyhook doing exactly the same thing (Skyhook powers Apple's WiFi location service, among other things, and is deployed on every iPad, iPod, and iPhone in existence). | Erayd (23) | ||
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