Google wants to patent technology used to 'snoop' Wi-Fi networks

[Newsjock]

Source: Computerworld

Google's secret Wi-Fi snooping was powered by new sniffing technology that the company wants to patent, court documents filed Wednesday alleged.

A just-amended complaint in a class-action lawsuit first submitted two weeks ago claims that a patent Google submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in November 2008 shows that the search giant purposefully created technology to gather, analyze and use data sent by users over their wireless networks.

... Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the Oregon lawsuit upped the ante Wednesday when they amended the original lawsuit to include charges that Google filed for a patent on Wi-Fi sniffing technology more than a year and a half ago.

... "As disclosed in the '776 Application, the more types and greater the quantity of Wi-Fi data obtained, decoded, and analyzed by Google from any particular user, the higher its 'confidence level' in the calculated location of that user's wireless AP," the changed lawsuit stated. "Collection, decoding, and analysis of a user's payload data would, therefore, serve to increase the accuracy, value, usability, and marketability of Google's new method."

Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9177634/Google_wants_to_patent_technology_used_to_snoop_Wi_Fi_networks

[wtmusic]

1. Way to cover your tracks, Google.

So much for the claim your snooping was "inadvertent".

[bejamin wood]

2. Ahh, the new Wal-Mart

Remember when Wal-Mart was better? I do. Then when most of the real competition was laid to waste, so was quality and jobs. I don't like anyone getting this big.

[OhioChick]

3. A so-called "accident" that they now want to patent. n/t

[boppers]

4. Wardriving+triangulation... not new.

This is the kind of thing that makes computer security experts face+palm when they read about it in the media. It's only getting news because it's google, and somebody wants to feed at google's trough. This has been going on for many years:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardriving

[boppers]

5. LOL @ related information in a linked article:

From: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9177050/Google_hit_with_class_action_lawsuit_over_Wi_Fi_snooping

"Elsewhere in the lawsuit, the pair said they had transmitted other confidential information over their unprotected Wi-Fi networks, including credit card and banking data, and personal information including Social Security numbers."

They're broadcasting their credit card information on public radio, and are mad that google might have noticed?