Sometimes I feel like....Google's watching me.....and I have no privacy

[marmar]

from the Guardian UK:



The Google engineer behind the collection of wireless data by Street View cars told at least two colleagues – including a senior manager – about the controversial plans before it was released, a US regulator has found.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said in a report that the Google engineer told colleagues in 2007 that his Street View programme could collect private information including emails and text messages.

In a report published by Google on Sunday, the FCC said that five engineers were involved in implementing the Street View code but did not realise it could collect so-called payload data.

The engineer specifically told two colleagues, including a senior manager, that it was designed to collect this information in 2007 and again in 2008. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/30/google-street-view-breach-fcc

[JohnnyRingo]

1. We've given up privacy willingly.

For better or worse, there is no expectation of privacy when we broadcast our life wirelessly. The only solution is to encrypt everything or abandon the devices that transmit what we say and do instead of demanding people stop listening, but few seem willing to do that.

We type our happenings on Facebook and speak openly on our smart phones, then complain that someone may glean that information. At home we broadcast our calls from wireless handsets to anyone with a nearby scanner and update our profile status through a router. Away from home we happily tweet text messages describing our real time actions and mindlessly send it to a receiving tower.

I have a friend who complained that in a few years all new cars will be equipped with tracking devices by law and that the govt will spy on her. I pointed out that I know she'll never ever leave her much cherished iPhone at home, so why would the govt have to bother Onstar for that information? The insurance companies are the driving force behind installing vehicle data recorders.