Google is accused of violating privacy in episodes of collecting and storing sensitive data and information from users of its services
OR Google is facing new privacy invasion charges after a leak of internal reports revealed a series of incidents involving the collection and storage of sensitive information of users of its services. This data includes travel details and addresses of people, voices of children, and even personalized recommendations about Youtube based on deleted viewing histories.
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These incidents were reported by Google employees between 2013 and 2018 and entered into an internal database obtained by the website 404 Media.
Sensitive data collection
Among the most serious cases described in the reports include the recording of children’s voices with the Gboard microphone, the leak of internal video content from Nintendo on YouTube, the collection of license plate information via Street View, address data and trips taken via Waze and public sharing of private Google Docs files.
According to the leaked documents, the incidents occurred due to problems with Google’s products or data collection practices, vulnerabilities of third-party vendors, or errors made by the company’s employees and service providers.
The site 404 Media notes that these situations may have affected a relatively small number of people and could have been resolved quickly, but they reveal Big Tech’s failures to handle its users’ sensitive information.
In response to the site, Google said the reports it obtained were more than six years old and were all reviewed and resolved at the time. “At Google, employees can quickly flag potential product issues for review by the relevant teams. In some cases, these situations turn out to be non-issues or issues that employees have encountered with third-party services.”
More data leaked by Google
Last week, Google found itself at the center of another controversy involving the leak of internal company documents. In this situation, the information revealed details on how the company’s search algorithm works and raised questions about Big Tech’s transparency regarding the criteria for ranking websites on the SERP.
The documents, obtained and analyzed by SEO expert Rand Fishkin, contradict several public statements made by Google about its algorithm. Among the most critical points highlighted by Fishkin are the type of data collected and used by Google, the priority of sites on sensitive topics such as elections and the algorithm’s treatment of sites with less traffic.
Source: 404 vehicles
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
