> Google has asked a third party to review what was collected and confirm that it was deleted. It also plans to review its procedures to ensure something similar doesn’t happen in the future. The company is turning this whole scenario into a lesson: “This incident highlights just how publicly accessible open, non-password-protected WiFi networks are today.”
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> Indeed, it’s certainly surprising to see that this data was collected after Google confidently stated that it wasn’t. At the same time, it’s oversights like these that provide ammunition for privacy advocates and critics of Google’s perceived lack of respect for privacy. It’s also a reminder that we truly never know what kind of data is being collected, even when the company in question has the best of intentions.
via [arstechnica.com](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/05/google-says-wifi-data-collection-was-a-mistake.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
I know I’m not usually overly-positive about Google, but I have to point out a clear difference here between Google and Facebook, since privacy is such a hot button issue this week.
“Don’t be Evil” may be marketing nonsense, but Google knows that trust from its users is essential to its long-term business strategy. Facebook seems to not care about trust; they’ve won their monopoly on Social Media, and they will abuse their power accordingly, probably with little consequence.
Personally, I believe Google when it tells me that this data has since been erased, and that it had no ill intentions when it collected that data. Google stands to lose more from loss of trust than it gains from random wireless network traffic. The third-party review is unnecessary, but again, demonstrates that Google takes these things seriously, or at least wants us to believe they take it seriously. That’s important.
I don’t really care if Google has information from my wireless network picked up from a passing car. What I care about is that Google is smart enough never to use that data.
