NM to get $100,000 from Google settlement
Posted at: 03/12/2013 10:57 AM
By: KOB.com staff
 Photo: Gary King |
Attorney General Gary King says New Mexico will receive more than $100,000 as part of a settlement with Internet giant Google over its collection of data from unsecured wireless networks nationwide while taking photographs for its Street View service between 2008 and March 2010.
The money will got into the AG's Consumer Protection Fund, which King uses to advance various consumer-related litigation.
King joined 37 other states and the District of Columbia that collectively negotiated the seven million dollar settlement which bans unauthorized data collection; requires training of Google employees on privacy issues; and includes a nationwide campaign to educate consumers on how to protect personal information while using wireless networks.
States’ complaints alleged Google’s Street View cars were equipped with antennae and software that the company acknowledged collected network identification information for use in future geolocation services.
At the same time, Google collected and stored data frames and other “payload data” being transmitted over those unsecured business and personal wireless networks.
Google claims it was unaware the payload data was being collected but in its agreement of voluntary compliance, the company acknowledged the information may have included URLS of requested Web pages, partial or complete email communications, and any confidential or private information being transmitted to or from the network user while the Street View cars passed by.
Google has since disabled or removed the equipment and software used to collect the payload data from its Street View vehicles, and agreed not to collect any additional information without notice and consent.
The information collected was segregated and secured, and under terms of the agreement, will be destroyed as soon as possible.
Google also said that the payload data was not used, and will not be used, in any product or service, and that the information collected in the United States was not disclosed to a third party.
 |
Tweet |
|
