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The data collection, which took place over three years, was legal because the information was not encrypted, the F.C.C. ultimately determined. Interesting how
by stevenplatt 14y ago
The data collection, which took place over three years, was legal because the information was not encrypted, the F.C.C. ultimately determined.
Interesting how this works. If I went wardriving and collected personal emails from unencrypted networks, I'd have my house rummaged by FBI agents, be hit with a 25,000-count felony wiretapping indictment and have some go-getter federal prosecutor try to convince a judge to sentence me to 7,000 years in prison. Then an appeals court might say reverse on the grounds that it was unencrypted. Maybe.
Google does it? A slap on the wrist and a small fine for "obstructing an investigation."
- epikur 14y agoWhy/how would the FBI be notified? Capturing packets from an unsecured wifi network doesn't exactly ring alarm bells.
- kinghajj 14y agoThat's because the software Google used didn't actively browse the networks to look for documents, but passively intercepted and logged packets. If they wrote a program that actually searched the networks for shared folders and copied information that way, then conceivably they could be guilty of unauthorized computer access.
- whackberry 14y ago> That's because the software Google used didn't actively browse the networks to look for documents Do we know that for a fact? Sorry if well known, genuine question.
- 1010011010 14y agoWhen did you stop beating your wife? How do we know for a fact?
- whackberry 14y ago> When did you stop beating your wife? How do we know for a fact? I never was accused of that. Silly response. Google has been accused of several privacy violations.
- smeg 14y agoLegal in what country?
- mattgreenrocks 14y agoI hate to be that guy, but do you have any examples? I thought war driving was a very murky gray area of the law.
- tlrobinson 14y agoHas anyone actually been prosecuted for simply passively monitoring unsecured WiFi networks?