French privacy officials have handed down a fine of 100,000 Euros against Google for the unauthorized collection of data via Wi-Fi networks.
Though Google has ceased collecting Wi-Fi data via its Street View cars, it is still collecting data through its location-based Latitude service, according to the commission, known as CNIL. Google has also not provided in-depth details about the computer program that led to the inadvertent data collection, CNIL said.
At issue is a May admission from Google that equipment attached to its Street View cars collected data that was traveling over unencrypted Wi-Fi networks, known as payload data. At first Google said it did not know if that data included personally identifiable information, but the company later admitted that it did include entire e-mail addresses, URLs, and passwords.
When it made that announcement, Google also made several changes to its privacy policies: it appointed Alma Whitten to serve as Google's director of privacy across privacy and engineering; it promised to enhance its core privacy training for engineers and other groups; and Google said it will add a new process to its existing review system.
After those privacy changes were made, the Federal Trade Commission announced it had closed its investigation into Google's Wi-Fi data collection, but the FCC is still investigating.
Google has repeatedly said it is "profoundly sorry" for the data collection.
"As soon as we realized what had happened, we stopped collecting all Wi-Fi data from our Street View cars and immediately informed the authorities," Google said. "As we assured the FTC, which has closed its inquiry, we did not want and have never used the payload data in any of our products and services."