For several days now Google has been engulfed in a tide of negative press regarding the accidental harvesting of wifi data via their Google Streetcars. The revelation came out as a result of a data audit demanded by Germany’s data protection authority, and has done nothing to improve Google’s poor reputation for use of private data. As a result, Google Chief Eric Schmidt has come forward in a bid to pacify the situation, citing the age old argument: no harm, no foul.
The recent revelations uncovered that the data gathered covered a period as far back as 2007, and if the audit hadn’t come up could have continued indefinitely. In a post on Google’s European Public Policy blog on 27th April, they stated that while they do gather network names and identifiers to aid their cars street mapping progress, they do not gather payload data through those networks. However they’ve been left somewhat red-faced with the recent revelations indicating otherwise.
However, in what was presumably an effort to calm negative speculation, Schmidt took the position that it wasn’t that big a deal. At the company’s annual Zeitgeist conference in Watford, he said “Who was harmed, name the person.” Clearly several international bodies think otherwise with a US group calling for a Federal probe and several European countries considering taking action.
Google already admitted openly that the data had been gathered over the past three year’s, though entirely by accident. This was almost immediately followed by a public apology. However, with legal and privacy issues ongoing, Schmidt’s lack of deft touch will surely do nothing other than exacerbate the situation. Schmidt also stated that “[n]o one has taken it [or] done anything with it. It has not been given to anyone.” He was also backed up by Google co-founder Larry Page who indicated that it was important to differentiate between “worry versus harm” in relation to online privacy.
Eric Schmidt
However, if Schmidt can use the “no harm, no foul” argument then surely the “it’s the principal of the matter” expression has the same chances of standing up in court. The fact is that irrelevant of how much actual harm is caused it’s simply not within Google’s rights to gather that data. The accidental nature of it is questionable as a Google blog post identified that the problem had been traced to code written by a Google engineer for an experimental project gathering wifi data back in 2006.
It’s possible that little more will come of this in a legal sense, but in future Schmidt should perhaps avoid trying to downplay issues and leave it to others better equipped to handle public relations for the company. In the long-run this will certainly damage Google’s already poor reputation for data security, and further increase the opinion that Schmidt and Google think they are above the law.
- Why Invest In Content Marketing? - March 12, 2013
- Why Creative Copywriting Can Make or Break Your Brand - March 12, 2013
- What is Your Sites Link Profile Saying about You? - February 19, 2013
- Can a Small On-line Business Really Compete with the Big Boys? - February 19, 2013
- Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #40: Sleet, Snow and SEO - December 3, 2010
- Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #39: Out of the Google Frying Pan… - November 26, 2010
- Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #38: The Google, the Bad and the Ugly - November 19, 2010
- Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #37: Google Jams A Few Rockets In Your Pocket - November 5, 2010
- Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #36: Google Gets All Up in Your Business - October 29, 2010
- Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #35: Google’s Groovy Giftset - October 22, 2010
You may also be interested in:
- What’s in a Name? Ask Eric Schmidt Got an embarassing internet profile? Just change your name by deed poll! ...
- Google CEO Eric Schmidt Talks Chrome OS Senior Google figurehead Eric Schmidt talks Chrome OS, Google Apps and much more. Read The Full Article >>...
- Google Re-accused of Criminal Act over WiFi Data Mess Google face further legal action over Streetcar WiFi data gathering....
- Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #27: Google About Schmidt Germany takes on Street View and Google CEO Eric Schmidt shows his repertoire of crazy. ...
- Germans get Privacy in Google Street View Privacy Issues are never far from Google Street View, but have they finally buckled to the Germans? ...
Cozy Digital is an