Attorney General Tom Horne Joins $7 Million Multi-State Settlement
Over Google Street View
Agreement Bans Unauthorized Data Collection, Requires Training of Google
Employees on Privacy, and Nationwide Campaign to Education Consumers on
Protecting Information
Phoenix (Wednesday March 13, 2013) - Attorney General Tom Horne is
today announcing that Arizona has joined 37 states and the District of
Columbia in a $7 million settlement with Internet giant Google over its
collection of data from unsecured wireless networks nationwide while
taking photographs for its Street View service between 2008 and March
2010. Arizona will receive $326,280.81 – the sixth largest share of the
nationwide settlement. The state’s share is larger than it would
otherwise have been because Arizona served on the executive committee
handling the case, which meant additional work for the state Attorney
General’s office.
Google’s Street View cars were equipped with antennae and open-source
software that the company acknowledged collected network identification
information for use in future geolocation services. At the same time,
Google collected and stored data frames and other “payload data” being
transmitted over those unsecured business and personal wireless
networks.
While Google represented it was unaware the payload data was being
collected, the agreement of voluntary compliance it signed with the
states acknowledged the information may have included URLS of requested
Web pages, partial or complete email communications, and any
confidential or private information being transmitted to or from the
network user while the Street View cars were driving by.
“This hard-fought settlement was the result of nearly two years of
negotiation,” said Attorney General Horne. “It is a fair
resolution of the states’ complaints and it recognizes the privacy
rights of individuals whose information was collected without their
permission.”
Google has since disabled or removed the equipment and software used to
collect the payload data from its Street View vehicles, and agreed not
to collect any additional information without notice and consent.
The information collected was segregated and secured, and under terms of
the agreement, will be destroyed as soon as legally practicable.
Further, Google agreed that the payload data was not used, and will not
be used, in any product or service, and that the information collected
in the United States was not disclosed to a third party.
Other key elements of the agreement require Google to run an employee
training program about privacy and confidentiality of user data and
continue the program for at least 10 years. It must also conduct a
public service advertising campaign to help educate consumers about
steps they may take to better secure their personal information while
using wireless networks.
Files: Assurance
of Discontinuance
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