June 22, 2010: Google's privacy issues

NO ONE DOMINATES THE
INTERNET LIKE GOOGLE, BUT
THE WEB GIANT'S GROWTH
COMES WITH A COST.
THE MORE THINGS WE USE
GOOGLE FOR, THE MORE
PRIVATE INFORMATION WE
SURRENDER.
NOW A NEW INVESTIGATION
SUGGESTS EVEN WHEN WE
DON'T VOLUNTARILY GIVE
GOOGLE OUR DATA, THE
COMPANY MAY BE TAKING IT
ANY WAY.
WHATEVER YOUR ONLINE
PLEASURES, WHETHER IT IS
SENDING E-MAIL, GETTING
DIRECTIONS OR WATCHING
VIDEOS OF DANCING BABIES.
GOOGLE HAS GOT WHAT YOU
NEED.
AND THEY'LL LET YOU HAVE
IT FOR FREE.
FOUNDERING, SIR GABE
BRINN, AND LARRY PAIGE
SAYS THIS MAKES GOOGLE A
FORCE FOR GOOD.

>> EVERYONE IN THE WORLD
HAS ACCESS TO OUR SEARCH.

>> Rooney: BUT PRIVACY
ADVOCATES SAY WE'RE
TELLING GOOGLE TOO MUCH.
AND NOW SOME 30 STATES,
INCLUDING MASSACHUSETTS,
ARE INVESTIGATING A
SECURITY BREACH THAT LED
TO GOOGLE'S STREET MAP
FEATURE.
RICHARD BLOOMENTHAL SAYS
GOOGLE'S SPECIALIZED
STREET VIEW CARDS BACK
UPDATE TA FROM WIRELESS
INTERNET CONNECTIONS.

>> WHAT GOOGLE DID WAS USE
STREET VIEW TO HAVE A
COMPLETE VIEW INTO
PEOPLE'S HOME.

>> Rooney: GOOGLE BLAMES
A SOFTWARE GLITCH AND SAYS
IT WILL COOPERATE WITH THE
INVESTIGATION AND WITH
SIMILAR PROBES IN EUROPE.
STILL, GOOGLE NOW KNOWS
EVEN MORE ABOUT US THAN IT
DID BEFORE.

>> WEB BROWSING, E-MAILS,
PASSWORDS THAT MANY
BUSINESSES AND HOUSEHOLDS
FULLY EXPECTED TO BE
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.

>> Rooney: RAISING NEW
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER

THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IN
GOOGLE IS GOOD.
JOINING ME IS DAN KENNEDY
OF NORTHEASTERN
UNIVERSITY, AND ROBERT
ELLIS SMITH THE PUBLISHER
OF PRIVACY JOURNAL.
DAN, WHEN THEY WERE
DRIVING BY THE HOUSES,
DOING THIS STREET VIEW
THING, IF YOU WERE
GOOGLING AND LOOKING UP A
STREET MAP, THEY WERE ONLY
CAPTURING THE INFORMATION
YOU WERE DOING AT THE
TIME.
THEY COULDN'T GET YOUR
LIST OF CONTACTS OR THE
HISTORY OF WHAT YOU WERE
DOING DURING THE DAY.

>> I SUPPOSE THEY COULD
HAVE GOTTEN ANYTHING YOU
WERE DOING AT THE TIME,
BUT THEY WERE ZOOMING PAST
VERY QUICKLY.

ONE OF THE POINTS GOOGLE
HAS MADE THIS IS A VERY
FAST PASSING THING,.

>> Rooney: THEY WEREN'T
LOADING ALL OF YOUR DATA
OFF OF YOUR COMPUTER --

>> NO.
WHATEVER YOU WERE DOING AT
THE TIME THEY WERE
CAPTURING.
THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Rooney: IS THIS
REALLY SUCH A CRISIS?
THEY CLAIM IT WAS A
MISTAKE.

>> I THINK IT PROBABLY WAS
A MISTAKE.
I THINK THE PROBLEM IS
THIS: I TEND TO THINK
THAT GOOGLE IS A FAIRLY
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
COMPANY.
BUT IT HAS GOTTEN TO BE SO
HUGE AND SUCH A FORCE THAT
ANY TIME IT DOES ANYTHING,
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET HURT
JUST BECAUSE IT'S SO BIG.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE
PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, EARLIER THIS
YEAR GOOGLE ALSO GOT INTO
SOME TROUBLE WHEN THEY
UNVEILED THE GOOGLE BUZZ
PROGRAM, WHICH WAS SORT
OF, BUT NOT REALLY,
SUPPOSED TO BE A
COMPETITOR TO Facebook,
AND THEY ALSO GOT IN
TROUBLE FOR PRIVACY
CONCERNS THEN.
AND, FRANKLY, I THINK
THEY'VE BEEN MUCH MORE
RESPONSIVE TO THESE
PRIVACY COMPLAINTS THAT
COME UP THAN Facebook
HAS BEEN, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T
MEAN THIS ISN'T A PROBLEM.

>> Rooney: HOW WAS THIS
DISCOVERED?

>> SOMEBODY ON THE INSIDE
DISCOVERED IT.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS
ACCIDENTAL --

>> Rooney: YOU DON'T
THINK IT WAS ACCIDENTAL?

>> NO.
THEY NEVER REPORTED IT
UNTIL THEY GOT CAUGHT.

>> Rooney: RIGHT.
AND NOW THEY'RE CLAIMING
IT WAS A ROGUE CODE.
THEY KNEW WHAT IT WAS
GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO.

>> I WOULD THINK SO.
AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO
KNOW THEY WERE PICKING UP
INFORMATION NOT ABOUT YOUR
SEARCHES BUT ABOUT THE
IDENTITY OF YOUR COMPUTER,
IN ONE INSTANCE.
THAT MAY NOT BE PRIVATE
INFORMATION TO A LOT OF
PEOPLE, BUT THEY WERE
PICKING UP THE CONTENT OF
YOUR BROWSING AND YOUR
E-MAIL, AND THAT'S
EXTREMELY INTRUSIVE.

>> Rooney: IN TERMS OF
GOING FORWARD, THOUGH,
WITH SOME KIND OF A SUIT,
THE VARIOUS A.G.s,
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
PROVE THAT THIS WAS
INTENTIONAL.

>> YES, BECAUSE IT'S A
CRIMINAL CONDUCT.
IT VIOLATES THE ELECTRONIC
SURVEILLANCE LAWS THAT FOR
YEARS HAVE PROHIBITED THE
INTERCEPTION OF TELEPHONE
CALLS, AND THE SAME
APPLIES TO INTERNET
COMMUNICATIONS.
MASSACHUSETTS HAS A STILL
MORE STRICT LAW ON
ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE
LAW ALLOWS FOR CIVIL
LAWSUITS SO THAT THE
VICTIMS CAN COMPLECT
DAMAGES.
AND THERE ARE LOTS OF
CLASS-ACTIONS THAT ARE
STARTED.

>> Rooney: HOANLLY, DAN
TO -- HONESTLY, DAN, TO
WHAT END DO YOU DO THIS?
SO THEY CAN FIND OUT --
WHAT YOUR ADVERTISING
PREFERENCES ARE?

>> I TAKE THEIR WORD FOR
IT THAT IT IS AN ACCIDENT.
BUT THE ENTIRE COMPANY IS
BASED ON AT LEAST
SOMETHING OF A MILD
INVASION OF PRIVACY, ISN'T
IT?
BECAUSE THE ADS THAT ARE
PUT AT YOU WHEN YOU'RE
USING G-MAIL ARE BASED ON
YOUR ACTIVITIES.
EVERY AD THAT GOOGLE PUTS
IN FRONT OF YOU IS BASED
ON ITS ASSESSMENT OF WHAT
YOUR INTERESTS ARE, AND
THAT, IN TURN, IS BASED ON
WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY
KNOW IT IS YOU, RATHER,
IT'S THE COMPUTER.
NEVERTHELESS, IT IS A
LITTLE BIT CREEPY.
AND THE SERVICE THAT IS
GETTING THEM IN TROUBLE
NOW, THE STREET VIEW
SERVICE -- IT'S A
WONDERFUL SERVICE.
I MEAN, IT IS SPOUSAL
ABUSE --

>> Rooney: I DIDN'T KNOW
THAT'S HOW THEY DID IT.
I THOUGHT THEY DID IT FROM
A SATELLITE CAMERA.

>> NO.
IT IS A LITTLE VOLKSWAGEN
ON THE STREET.

>> IT IS DONE AT THE
STREET LEVEL.
I USE IT ALL THE TIME.
IT IS IMMENSELY USEFUL
WHEN I'M TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT IS THIS BUILDING
I'M GOING TO.
BUT IT IS KIND OF CREEPY.

>> I OWN ONE OF THE
BUILDINGS ON GOOGLE.
THEY OUGHT NOT TO BE ABLE
TO MAKE A BUCK ON THAT
WITHOUT PROVIDING MY
ROYALTIES OF SOME SORT.

>> Rooney: TO SHOW YOUR
BUILDING?

>> MY HOME, MY RESIDENCE.
YOU OUGHT NOT BE ABLE TO
RIP OFF PEOPLE
COMMERCIALLY WITHOUT
COMPENSATING THEM FOR IT.
SHOO KNOWS WHAT -- WHO
KNOWS WHAT CAN BE
GLEANED --

>> Rooney: JUST FROM
FROM SHOWING THE OUTSIDE
OF YOUR HOUSE?

>> THERE IS ENOUGH
INFORMATION THAT COULD BE
USED BY BURGLARS --

>> Rooney: BUT IT IS
LEGAL TO STAND OUTSIDE
YOUR HOUSE AND TAKE A
PICTURE.

>> BUT IT IS NOT WIDELY
TRANSMITTED.
GOOGLE DOES PERMIT PEOPLE
TO REMOVE THEIR HOMES FROM
THE PRODUCT.
I TESTED THAT.
IT WAS DIFFICULT, BUT THEY
WILL DO THAT.

>> Rooney: YOU DID?

>> YEAH.
I JUST THINK THERE IS ALL
SORTS OF COMMERCIAL VALUE
FROM GATHERING UP THE
INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE'S
HOMES THAT SELLERS OF ALL
SORTS OF PRODUCTS CAN
BENEFIT FROM.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF
JOURNALIST EXCEPTIONS TO
PRIVACY LAWS.
WHAT GOOGLE IS DOING
REALLY IS JOURNALISM.
AND BOB TALKED ABOUT THE
POCKET OF PAYING
ROYALTIES, IT NEVER DAWNED
ON ME.

>> Rooney: LET'S ALL GET
SOME.

>> YEAH, LET'S ALL GET
SOME.
IT FALLS UNDER THE PRIVACY
LAW.
IF SOMEBODY REALLY WANTED
TO PUSH THAT, I SUPPOSE IT
COULD BE QUITE A PROBLEM.

>> THERE IS GREAT OUTRAGE
IN NEW YORK, BUT NOT IN
THE UNITED STATES OVER
STREET VIEW.

>> Rooney: WHY DO YOU
THINK THAT IS?

>> AMERICANS ARE KIND OF
COOL ABOUT THAT.

>> Rooney: YOUNGER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE YOUR AGE AND MY AGE
ARE UPSET.

>> YES.
HOMEOWNERS ARE NOT THAT
WORRIED ABOUT IT.
EUROPEANS ARE MORE
FASTIDIOUS ABOUT THEIR
PRIVACY.
THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS
ALL OF THE LAWS IN EUROPE
HAVE A DATA PROTECTION
CZAR WHO HAS A WHOLE
COMPLIANCE MECHANISM, AND
THEY'RE THE OFFICERS
RAISING A BIG STINK ABOUT
THIS.
IN THE UNITED STATES, WE
REALLY DON'T HAVE SORT OF
MONITOR OF THIS ACTIVITY
TO BLOW THE WHISTLE.
THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION HAS RECEIVED A
COMPLAINT ABOUT IT, AND I
THINK IT IS BLATENTLY A
VIOLATION OF THE PRIVACY
LAW.

>> Rooney: WHAT WILL
HAPPEN IF THEY'RE FOUND
GUILTY OF THIS?

>> LET'S KEEP IN MIND THAT
THIS EFFORT IS BEING LED
BY A U.S. SENATE
CANDIDATE.
HE DESPERATELY NEEDS TO
CHANGE THE SUBJECT FROM
HIS OWN PROBLEMS, AND HE
SUCCEED IN DOING THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING
TO HAPPEN WITH THIS.
IT IS GOING TO DRAG ON FOR
A LONG TIME.
CERTAINLY PAST ELECTION
DAY.
IT WILL PROBABLY RESORT IN
SOME SORT OF OUT OF COURT
SETTLEMENT WHERE GOOGLE
AGREES NOT TO DO IT AGAIN.

>> I BELIEVE IT IS
IMPORTANT TO REALIZE
BLOOMENTHAL WAS LATE TO
THIS, AND OTHERS BLEW THE
WHISTLE BEFORE THAT.
AND GOOGLE SHOULD WATCH
ITS EUROPEAN FLAG.

>> Rooney: THANK YOU,
BOB.
AND DAN KENNEDY.
WHEN WE CONTINUE, THE
SUMMER THEATER SYSTEM
KICKS OFF WITH
"SOMETIMES."