Google Fails to Delete Data as Ordered by ICO
August 6, 2012
An article on The Telegraph, “Google: We Failed to Delete All Streetview Data,” reveals another big privacy “whoops” from Google.
In 2010, Google collected data over open WiFi networks during its Streetview mapping in Britain and a number of other countries around the world. Britain recently reopened the investigation as Google has revealed that “human error” prevented the company from deleting all the data it was ordered to destroy by the Information Commissioner.
The article includes a statement from the ICO:
“This data was supposed to have been deleted in December 2010. The fact that some of this information still exists appears to breach the undertaking to the ICO signed by Google in November 2010. […] Google indicated that they wanted to delete the remaining data and asked for the ICO’s instructions on how to proceed. Our response, which has already been issued, makes clear that Google must supply the data to the ICO immediately, so that we can subject it to forensic analysis before deciding on the necessary course of action.”
Google maintains that the collection was unintentional, and apologizes to the ICO and the public. Apparently it is easier to apologize than ask for permission. Cool. If the investigators in this case were of Google caliber, perhaps they would understand “human error” as Google defines it.
Andrea Hayden, August 6, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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