Google Should Be Subject To Regulation
Nearly two-thirds of Australians believe internet search engine Google should be subject to government regulation on issues such as personal privacy.
While people overwhelmingly (84 per cent) have a positive view of Google, and most (58 per cent) say it does not have too much power, polling by opinion research company UMR also has found significant concerns.
Google this week received its first ever fine — from France’s privacy watchdog — for improperly gathering and storing data for its Street View application. Apart from a 100,000 euros fine, the New York Times reports that Google was criticised for continuing to breach privacy rules in relation to a mobile app which lets users broadcast their location and pinpoint where friends are.
The Australian Privacy Commissioner was among one of many countries’ privacy agencies to investigate the Street View service which picked up information from private Wi-Fi networks as Street View cars drove about.
Google said the collection of this information had been inadvertent — it only intended to collect publicly broadcast Wi-Fi network data via Street View cars to improve location-based services like search and maps.