Google have secretly collected personal data from personal Wi-Fi networks in the month of May when Google’s Street View cars was taking street photographs in Australia. Alan Eustace, Senior Vice President of Google Engineering & Research department said, during that time the cars were only meant to collect name of the Wi-Fi network and the ID of the device running it. But, the cars had also collected the “samples” of information being sent over networks that were left unsecured.
The company has published an official apology to the Australians in its official Australian blog. “We want to reiterate to Australians that this was a mistake for which we are sincerely sorry. Maintaining people’s trust is crucial to everything we do and we have to earn that trust every single day. We are acutely aware that we failed badly here.” At the end of the post it says: Posted by Alan Eustace,Vice President of Google Engineering & Research.
Google have declined to comment beyond its statement posted in its official blog. The Australian Federal Police is conducting a separate criminal investigation of Google over Street View.
