TOPEKA, Kan. - A settlement reached Tuesday with Google means Kansans' privacy rights will be protected.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says the settlement stemmed from privacy violations by Google's Street View Cars which were equipped with antennae and software used to collect information from unsecured wireless networks.
Google acknowledged that the information collected may have included confidential or private information being transmitted to or from the network user while the Street View cars were nearby.
"Kansans expect that their privacy rights are not being violated by cars driving by their homes and gathering their personal information from home computer networks," Schmidt said. "This agreement ensures that Google will cease these practices and will securely destroy all data that was collected through this system."
The settlement requires Google to train employees about privacy and confidentiality of user data for at least the next 10 years. Google must also conduct a public service advertising campaign to educate consumers about how to secure their personal information over wireless networks.
The settlement was made between Google and 39 state attorneys general.
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