Google Threatens to Erase Street View in Switzerland

(AP) - A Swiss government official is demanding that Google immediately remove any image of Switzerland from its "Street View Maps," and the company said today it would discuss the matter with the privacy rights regulator. Switzerland's federal data protection commissioner says Google's pictures violate the country's strict privacy laws by failing to obscure people's identities. More»

Googler who knew data was snatched is outed

(NEWSER) - The noose appears to be tightening around Google. Federal sources have now identified the Google engineer who knew —and informed co-workers and a boss—that Street View cars were snatching unencrypted personal data from potentially millions of household wireless networks over three years, according to government investigators. Google execs have maintained that they were completely surprised when the information was "inadvertently" gathered by prowling Street View cars. The FCC has referred to the engineer who contradicts Google's claim it was in the dark as "Engineer Doe." More»

Engineer told manager exactly what was happening, says report

(NEWSER) - The fact that Google's Street View operation was snatching citizens' personal data from the air shouldn't have come as a surprise to company execs—because their own engineer told them it was happening, according to a new federal report. Google has maintained all along that secret collection of personal data from millions of household through wireless networks was a complete surprise. But a Google engineer who wrote the code enabling Street View cars to do exactly that informed fellow engineers and a manager, says the FCC report obtained by the Los Angeles Times . More»

Company refused to cooperate with investigation: FCC

(NEWSER) - The Federal Communications Commission was sympathetic in 2010 when Google said it was really, really sorry its street map vehicles accidentally picked up people's personal information from their wireless home networks. Two years later, however, the FCC is exasperated by Google's lack of cooperation with a probe into the problem, saying the online giant "deliberately impeded and delayed" its investigation and fining it $25,000, reports the New York Times . (How much will that hurt? Google reported net income of $2.89 billion in the first quarter of 2012.) More»

Online gallery now has works from 151 museums in 40 countries

(NEWSER) - The White House's art collection, all 139 pieces, is being added to the Google Art Project, as part of a major expansion of Google's online art initiative, reports CBS News . Other collections being added include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery in London, and the Palace of Versailles, bringing the total to 151 galleries and museums from 40 countries. Notably missing? The Louvre, notes CBS. More»