Hasta La Gadget!

Google’s already vowed to pony up $7 million and destroy passwords, emails and other data collected from unsecured WiFi networks through its Street View cars, but the damage won’t stop there. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has denied the company’s attempt to dismiss wiretapping claims in a class action suit over the debacle. Page and Co. argued their actions could pass under a wiretap exemption since data transmitted over WiFi is an electronic communication that’s easily accessible to the public. However, the panel of judges didn’t buy the search giant’s argument. “Wi-Fi transmissions are not ‘readily accessible’ to the ‘general public’ because most of the general public lacks the expertise to intercept and decode payload data transmitted over a Wi-Fi network,” Judge Jay Bybee explained. Secondly, the court ruled that the data transmitted over WiFi can’t be classified as mostly audio, so it falls “outside of the definition of a ‘radio communication.'”

“We are disappointed in the Ninth Circuit’s decision and are considering our next steps,” a Google spokesperson told Bloomberg. Now that Mountain View isn’t getting off this hook, expect it to dish out more compensation soon.

Filed under: Google

Comments

Via: AllThingsD

Source: US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (PDF)

Google’s long found itself in hot water where its Street View mapping practices are concerned, running afoul of authorities both in the US and abroad since 2010. But as of today, the search giant’s putting an end to its domestic legal woes, agreeing to dole out $7 million to the 37 states and District of Columbia involved in the litigation. In addition, the company’s pledged to destroy all of the user information (passwords, emails, etc.) it’s thus far collected from unsecured networks — unlawful snooping it claims was carried out by a “rogue engineer.” Google admits to fumbling its dedication to user privacy in this one area and, as part of the settlement, has committed to not only educating its employees on best privacy practices, but to also launch a consumer outreach program addressing these same issues. So, for now, consider this case closed… in the US. Its troubles across the pond are another matter.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Comments

Source: CNet