 Under the agreement, Google also has agreed to destroy the personal data it
collected, which could have included people's emails, passwords and browsing
history shared over wireless Internet connections."While this agreement puts
a stop to Google's unwarranted data collection, it should serve as an important
reminder to Illinois residents to take the necessary steps to protect their
personal information online," Madigan said.
Google Street View allows users to view actual photographs when using
Google's map service or driving direction service. Google collects the images
for Street View using vehicles equipped with antennae and open-source software
that travel all over the world to photograph homes, buildings and other
landmarks to include in these location-based services.
The agreement addresses practices by Google between 2008 and March 2010, when
Street View vehicles collected network identification information for use in
future geolocation services. At the same time, Google was collecting and storing
data frames and other "payload data" that was being transmitted by consumers
over unsecured business and personal wireless networks. Payload data can include
user emails, passwords and browsing activity.
Google has since disabled or removed the equipment and software used to
collect payload data from its Street View vehicles. Under the agreement with
Madigan and the attorneys general, Google must not collect any additional
information without notice and consent.
Google has maintained that it never used the data collected and that the
information collected in the United States was not disclosed to a third party.
Under the agreement, information collected by Google was segregated and secured
and must now be destroyed.
In addition, Google must conduct employee trainings on privacy and
confidentiality of user data for at least 10 years. The company 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.
Protect your online identity
Madigan also recommended Illinois residents consult OnGuard Online, a
consortium of federal government agencies and technology industry experts, which
recommends additional precautionary steps to secure wireless networks and to
ensure safe Web browsing. The steps below are provided by OnGuard Online:
- Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall:
Install
anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Keep them up-to-date, and check to
ensure that your firewall is turned on.
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-
Change the
identifier on your router from the default. The identifier,
or SSID, for your router is likely to be a standard, default ID
assigned by the manufacturer to all hardware of that model.
Change your identifier to something only you know, and remember
to configure the same unique ID into your wireless router and
your computer so they can communicate.
-
Change your
router's preset password for administration: The
manufacturer assigned the router a standard default password.
Those default passwords are available to anyone, including
hackers, so change it to something only you know. When choosing
a password, make sure to choose one of sufficient length and
complexity to prevent it from being hacked.
-
Turn off your
wireless network when you know you won't use it: If you turn
the router off when you're not using it, you can limit the
amount of time that it is susceptible to a hack.
-
Don't assume public Wi-Fi networks are
secure: Café, hotel and airport "hot spots" are convenient,
but they are not secure
Joining Madigan in the settlement announced Tuesday were
attorneys general from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida,
Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Van Hise handled the case for
Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.
[Text from file received from the office
of
Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan]
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