Google cars copied home e-mails and passwords

Published on Sunday 24 October 2010 16:54

Internet search engine Google has admitted copying household computer passwords and e-mails while creating its controversial Street View website, it has emerged.

Privacy campaigners have slammed the internet giant and demanded the information, obtained through unsecure wireless networks is deleted.

The company collected the information from wireless networks when its vehicles drove around residential streets taking photographs for its worldwide Street View product, which was launched in 2008.

Anti-surveillance campaigners have described the error as "outrageous" and the privacy watchdog has launched an investigation.

It is not yet known whether UK homes were affected by the security breach.

Alan Eustace, Google's vice-president of engineering and research, said: "We want to delete this data as soon as possible, and I would like to apologise again for the fact that we collected it in the first place. We are mortified by what happened."

Google, which is based in California, admitted in May that it had collected information about the name and location of wireless networks not protected by passwords. But now seven privacy regulators have analysed the data and revealed the full extent of what was copied.

Mr Eustace said: "It's clear from those inspections that while most of the data is fragmentary, in some instances entire e-mails and URLs (web addresses] were captured, as well as passwords." A spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office said: "We will be making inquiries to see whether this information relates to data inadvertently captured in the UK before deciding on the course of action, including a consideration of the need to use our enforcement powers."

Alex Deane, director of privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: "The news that Google has also harvested e-mail addresses and passwords is nothing short of outrageous."

Alma Whitten, Google's new director of privacy, said: "We are profoundly sorry.

"As soon as we realised what had happened, we stopped collecting all wi-fi data and immediately informed the authorities. This data was never intended to be used by Google in any way."

Snooping for street view:

INFORMATION about Google's gathering of personal data came to light following a request by data protection authorities in Hamburg, Germany.

The firm admitted in May that it had collected information about wireless networks not protected by passwords.

As it set out to photograph streets around the world, Google equipped its cars with antennae as well as cameras, so it could create a database with the names of wi-fi networks and routers.

About 600 gigabytes of data was taken off wi-fi networks in more than 30 countries.