Google has been fined €145,000 or roughly $189,230 by a German regulator for collecting wireless-network data by its Google Street cars that were used for taking photos to use in the Google Street View service, in one of the biggest data protection violations in German history.
Bloomberg reports that Google Street cars from 2008 to 2010 captured the data, including contents of e-mails, passwords, photos and chat protocols.
Details of the Data Collection Incident
Hamburg data regulator Johannes Caspar explained: “In my view, this is one of the biggest data protection rules violations known,” said Caspar. Google’s “internal control mechanisms must have severely failed.” The data collection incident involved Google Street View cars inadvertently gathering personal data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks as they drove through various neighborhoods. This data included sensitive information such as the contents of e-mails, passwords, photos, and chat protocols, which were not intended to be collected by the Street View service.
The incident has raised significant concerns about privacy and data protection, especially given the scale and scope of the data collected. The fact that such a large amount of personal information was gathered without the knowledge or consent of the individuals involved highlights the need for stricter data protection measures and oversight.
Previous Fines and Policy Changes
It is not the first time Google has been fined for such a breach of data protection. In 2011, the French privacy regulator levied a €100,000 penalty on Google for similar violations. These repeated incidents have prompted Google to reevaluate and tighten its policies regarding the use of Google Street cars. Peter Fleischer, Google’s global privacy counsel, stated in a press release that the company has implemented new measures to ensure that such data collection issues do not occur in the future.
The fine imposed by the German regulator, although significant, is limited by German law to a maximum of €150,000 for negligent data rule violations. This has led to a broader discussion about whether these limits are sufficient to deter large corporations from engaging in practices that violate data protection laws. Many experts argue that the current limits are outdated and need to be increased or removed entirely to provide a more effective deterrent.
In response to the incident, Google has taken steps to improve its internal control mechanisms and ensure that its data collection practices comply with privacy regulations. The company has also expressed its commitment to working with regulators to address any concerns and improve its data protection policies.
For more information on the new Google fine, jump over to the Bloomberg website for details.
Source: Bloomberg
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