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Google Snared Emails and Passwords While Collecting Streetview Data

After Canada’s Privacy Commissioner claimed Google violated the privacy of perhaps thousands of Canadians, including capturing complete emails, email usernames and passwords, and even information about certain Canadians’ medical conditions, Google has admitted to inadvertently gathering entire emails and passwords. Google uses cars to take photos for its Street View mapping service, and during data collection, sensitive personal data was captured from unsecured wireless networks.

Google has said it wants to delete the information and plans to improve security and privacy practices. It has appointed Alma Whitten, who specializes in computer security, as director of privacy for both engineering and products. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a woman A San Francisco woman has filed a federal suit against Google in San Jose, Calif., and is seeking class action status, claiming that Google has violated users’ privacy and its own policy by illegally sharing search queries with third parties (advertisers).

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