Google says its cars grabbed emails, passwords
Earlier today, I found a lovely article posted yesterday, by Brad Selers, and entitled Google says its cars grabbed emails, passwords that I suggest you all read. Below are a few little extracts in the hope of whetting your appetites!
It remains unclear how many people may have been affected by the privacy breach. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is leading the multi-state investigation, said in a statement on Friday that Google’s disclosure about the types of data it collected "validates and heightens our significant concerns," and noted that the investigation is continuing. Google’s Street View cars, which are well known for crisscrossing the globe and taking panoramic pictures of the city’s streets, accidentally collected data from unsecured wireless networks used by residents in more than 30 countries, Google disclosed in May. At the time, Google said the information was typically limited to "fragments" of unencrypted data because the cars were always moving and because the cars’ wireless equipment automatically changed channels about five times a second.
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"It’s clear from those inspections that while most of the data is fragmentary, in some instances entire emails and URLs were captured, as well as passwords," Google Vice President of Engineering and Research Alan Eustace said in a post on Google’s blog on Friday. Google also said in the blog post that it hoped to delete the data as soon as possible. Google had deleted the data in countries where regulators had given it permission to do so, a spokeswoman said. Investigations in six countries including New Zealand and the Netherlands, were closed, the spokeswoman said. There were investigations ongoing in other countries, but Google could not delete the data until the investigations were closed.
Reading Brad Selers’s post started me thinking so I did a google search for some other posts on the subject and discovered some more niceposts. i.e. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to State Judicial … by Foreclosure Fraud, posted three weeks ago, over on Foreclosure Fraud – Fighting Foreclosure Fraud by Sharing the Knowledge:
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to State Judicial Department – Freeze ALL Home Foreclosures for 60 Days Where you at May!!! Connecticut Attorney General’s Office Press Release Attorney General Asks CT Courts To Freeze Home Foreclosures 60 Days Because Of Defective Docs October 1, 2010 Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today asked the state Judicial Department to freeze all home foreclosures for 60 days because of defective document filings and institute measures to assure the integrity of future filings. Blumenthal made the request after a second bank, JP Morgan Chase, acknowledged filing defective foreclosure documents. Like GMAC/Ally, JP Morgan admitted that so-called “robo-signers” signed affidavits without verifying the information in them. The GMAC robo-signer said under oath that he signed 8,000 to 10,000 foreclosure affidavits a month while a robo-signer for JP Morgan testified to spending less than two minutes on each affidavit. Blumenthal is investigating GMAC/Ally and JP Morgan, as well as whether other banks may have engaged in similar practices. Submitting defective documents is a possible fraud upon the court, potentially undermining foreclosures and underlying mortgages. “This freeze should stop a foreclosure steamroller based on defective documents and enable effective remedies,” Blumenthal said.
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“The actions of GMAC/Ally and JP Morgan are inexcusable, a possible fraud on the court undermining the integrity of the legal process and consumers’ ability to fight foreclosures. Banks that lured consumers into loans they couldn’t afford now seek to stampede them into foreclosure. We must stop this runaway foreclosure train, restoring proper procedure and property owner rights. “The Judicial Department should take additional measures — including requiring signers to state the basis for verifying information in affidavits — to restore the integrity of foreclosure documents. This appalling practice must be stopped before it poisons the legal system and unfairly evicts families from their homes.
Finally, another fantastic post on the subject came from By ASHLEY PARKER over on The Caucus posted last week, entitled McMahon Releases Second Ad Attacking Blumenthal Over his Vietnam … which is also certainly worth reading!
Blumenthal for his misstatements. The Blumenthal campaign released their own radio ad attacking Ms. McMahon’s business practices. The 30-second McMahon ad begins: “Dick Blumenthal said he served in Vietnam,” as a parade of veterans flash across the screen, each speaking a different line. “He said it again and again.
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He said he misspoke.” The ad continues: “What about the soldiers who gave their lives in Vietnam? And those who were never the same? It’s a matter of duty. Of honor. Of trust. And not, Mr. Blumenthal, a matter of politics.” Despite previous statements to the contrary, Mr. Blumenthal did not serve in Vietnam, receiving at least five military deferments before landing a coveted spot in the Marine Reserve in 1970, which all but ensured that he would not be sent overseas to Vietnam.