Google Maps Privacy: The Street View & Wifi Scorecard

It seems not a week goes by without news of a new investigation into Google’s
Street View service, or into Google’s collection of personal data via unencrypted
WiFi networks that occurred over three years as Street View vehicles drove the
world’s streets. It seems like one country opens an investigation just as another
country ends theirs. Some countries have multiple investigations open. Or closed.

You need a scorecard to keep track of it all. So, we decided to make one. Below
is a list of investigations that we’re aware of — a list we’ll update as new
developments warrant or as we learn about new information we’ve missed. There
are two different types of investigations that are most commonly launched:

• investigations into Street View itself, the service where Google vehicles
  take photos in towns and cities around the world and put them online in Google
  Maps
• investigations into Google’s collection of personal data over unsecured
  WiFi networks that occurred via Street View vehicles

We have two separate tables below, one for each kind of investigation, followed
by a timeline of important events related to these investigations. Based on
our count, there are close to two dozen countries and governmental organizations
that have investigated — or are still investigating — these issues. Some have
concluded that Google broke national laws but, to date, none have fined or penalized
Google.

These charts have been updated as of: April 17, 2012.

Google Street View Photography Investigations

Although there was no formal US investigation into Street View photography,
the service did face opposition in certain towns. For example: Residents of
North Oaks, Minnesota, protested and Google agreed
to remove all photos of the private town.

WiFi Data Collection Investigations

The dates listed above represent our best attempt to determine when actual
investigations began; in some cases, various public or private groups may have
raised concerns prior to actual investigations taking place.

In addition to the investigations above, eight class action lawsuits have been
consolidated
in Northern California federal court; more are expected to be added.

Google WiFi Data Collection Timeline

May 2007: Google launches
Street View in five U.S. cities. Photos are collected by cars driving around
with camera equipment attached to the roof. The code that collects and stores
personal data found on unencrypted WiFi networks is part of the default software
install on Street View cars since
the beginning of the service. Street View has expanded and now covers
more than 30 countries.

April 23, 2010: Germany privacy officials were the first
to reveal that Google’s Street View cars were also mapping WiFi networks.

April 27, 2010: Google announced
that it was not collecting any "payload" (i.e., personal) information
via its Street View cars.

May 5, 2010: Data protection authorities in Germany asked
to audit the data that Google had been collecting.

May 7, 2010: Google grounded
its Street View cars (and stopped the data harvesting) when it learned that
personal information had been collected.

May 14, 2010: Based on the German review, Google publicly
corrected its April 27th statement and admitted that Street View cars had
been collecting personal information since 2007.

July 19 and 20, 2010: Canadian privacy officials visited Google’s
Mountain View headquarters as part of that country’s investigation. Their detailed
report reveals that Google had collected e-mail addresses, e-mails (with
usernames and passwords, home addresses, phone numbers, and more). A French
report revealed similar information about what Google collected.

October 22, 2010: Google announced
several changes to its internal privacy practices, admitted that it had
captured "entire emails and URLs … as well as passwords," and said
the company is "mortified by what happened."

For more background, see our Google:
Street View articles archive.

(Compiled with assistance from Aqute.com’s Google
vs.the world map and EPIC.org’s Investigations
of Google Street View material.)