Why did Google get away with slapped wrists and no fine for their data harvesting in the U.K.?
The U.K.'s Information Commissioner has spoken, and let Google off the hook. The Internet giant had been under investigation after harvesting individuals' private data via its Street View cars. The verdict: unintentional. The punishment? Slapped wrists, the data to be deleted within nine months, and case closed. Wow. A result for Google, without a doubt.
"We’re pleased that the Ico have concluded their investigation and we will be working to delete the data as soon as possible," a Google spokesperson tells Fast Company.
But how has it managed to get away without a fine?
In an interview with the BBC, the Information Commission's deputy, David Smith, said that a fine was impossible. "We'd have had to find that there was substantial damage or distress to individuals from the collections of snippets of emails,...
The U.K.'s Information Commissioner has spoken, and let Google off the hook. The Internet giant had been under investigation after harvesting individuals' private data via its Street View cars. The verdict: unintentional. The punishment? Slapped wrists, the data to be deleted within nine months, and case closed. Wow. A result for Google, without a doubt.
"We’re pleased that the Ico have concluded their investigation and we will be working to delete the data as soon as possible," a Google spokesperson tells Fast Company.
But how has it managed to get away without a fine?
In an interview with the BBC, the Information Commission's deputy, David Smith, said that a fine was impossible. "We'd have had to find that there was substantial damage or distress to individuals from the collections of snippets of emails,...
- 11/19/2010
- by Addy Dugdale
- Fast Company
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