[kwlug-disc] [OT] Google sniffing wifi, collecting emails and passwords.

[Darcy Casselman]

You'd be subject to some rather large fines if you did.

Passive data collection isn't the same as walking into someone's
house.  There were sites around (not sure if there still are) that
mapped open wifi networks in cities.  Isn't that the same thing?  Or
is it different that this is Google.

I don't think they're doing it for "commercial purposes."  The direct
commercial upside of mapping open wifi is miniscule.  And assuming
that they're doing it for commerce isn't thinking like Google.  There
is research potential, however.  That sounds more like Google to me.
Yeah, ultimately, that research will be used to make Google more
money.  Somehow.  But I doubt they'll sell the data to anyone.

Darcy.

On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Insurance Squared Inc.
<gcooke at insurancesquared.com> wrote:
> Using my inhouse wifi, unencrypted or not, is not permission for someone
> else to use it for commercial purposes.  I don't need to encrypt it to tell
> you no.  It's presumed the answer is no.  Just because you can <>right.
>
> Your phone number's in the book Darcy.  Can I call you and sell you some
> life insurance?  Are you free say, around dinner time? :).
>
>
>
> On 21/06/10 04:17 PM, Darcy Casselman wrote:
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 3:00 PM, Insurance Squared Inc.
>> <gcooke at insurancesquared.com>  wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I figured this would be of interest to the tech folks.  Google's much
>>> loved
>>> streetview cars that drove around snapping pictures inside people's
>>> houses
>>> got nailed for also sniffing everyone's wifi, right down to the mac
>>> address.
>>>  Now it turns out they also collected email addresses and passwords:
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/googles-street-view-wi-fi-data-included-passwords-email-679?utm_medium=gri.ms-twitter&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=twitterfeed
>>>
>>> Google's response seems to be that it was an accident.  Which I can
>>> appreciate and understand, because that's how my wife got pregnant with
>>> our
>>> kids.  Both of them.
>>>
>>
>> Personally, I think this is kind of awesome, and I wish we'd get to
>> see the data.  Except we won't, because then they'd have to deal with
>> the PR fall-out of a bunch of crazy people screaming about how data
>> sent out in the clear is somehow "private."
>>
>> Darcy.
>>
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