Google caught with hands in private computer info cookie jar (Street View cameras)

Google street view car in Brighton, UK, camera wrapped (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Google deliberately stole information but executives ‘covered it up’ for years | Mail Online:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2150606/Google-deliberately-stole-information-executives-covered-years.html?ICO=most_read_module

The programmer that did the program says he warned Google to check with privacy lawyers because the program steals information from personal computers as the Street View cars drove along, but Google says the FCC and the Justice Department gave them a pass because they determined, so they say, that Google “did not want or intend to use this payload data. Indeed, so they say Google never used it in any of our products or services.”

The programmer has also invoked his Fifth Amendment rights to refuse to answer questions about the program or about Street View. He may also be avoiding answering, in my opinion, due to some strong warnings from parties unknown.

Reading between the lines, at least from what’s in this report, we see that Google probably DID use it in some way other than directly using the information in their products or services. Did they sell any of the information to the NSA maybe, or to the Pentagon‘s now renamed Total Awareness project?

I’m going to start looking for email alternatives.

Related articles

• Google deliberately stole information but executives ‘covered it up’ for years (dailymail.co.uk)
• Google SNOOP view: Search engine giant secretly collected confidential emails, pictures and text messages from millions of people with its Street View cars (dailymail.co.uk)
• Google could face investigation into Street View ‘wardriving’ claims (techradar.com)
• Federal Police may swoop over Google’s cars (news.com.au)