[Agedprepdoock]

By Emily Allen: 11:50 GMT, 27 May 2012

Google knew the software for its Street View fleet could secretly collect personal data including emails, pictures and
text messages from unprotected wi-fi networks, it has been claimed.

Documents seen by America’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) show that Marius Milner, a 41-year-old
British software engineer based in California, created the snooping technology called gstumbler which could capture
data from inside residents’ homes as teams toured the country.

They also show that the Street View team knew there were possible issues with privacy as Milner advised them to
contact a privacy lawyer before the software was installed.



Cambridge-educated Mr Milner, from Hove, East Sussex, who has pleaded the fifth amendment which protects
witnesses from incriminating themselves, said that this information would 'be analysed offline for use in other initiatives' in
the original proposal, as well as told several other Google employees of the data collection capabilities of the program,
according to the report.



It is no secret that the firm wants to continue tailoring information it gives internet users so it is relevant to their finances,
interests, relationships and buying habits.

Google was found to have collected similar data from users in other European countries including France and Germany.

In Germany it was forced to stop filming for Street View due to privacy concerns, and in France it was fined £87,000 by
the privacy regulator CNIL.

Earlier this month Google was fined £15,000 by the FCC after it found the company ‘wilfully and repeatedly’ violated orders
to hand over information it requested while investigating Street View.

Street View gives users a 360-degree view of roads and is filmed by the now notorious Google cars which have special
cameras fitted on to the roof.