"We are keeping information from Belgium, France, Germany, France, France, Switzerland & the Czech Republic," a Google Australia spokeswoman said.
Google has failed to delete personal information it "mistakenly" collected from Australian home Wi-Fi networks despite the privacy regulator saying last week that the practice was a "likely breach of the Privacy Act".
The search giant's co-founder, Sergey Brin, admitted last week that the company "screwed up" by accidentally gathering 600GB worth of private wireless information while taking pics for its Street View mapping service.
The move has landed it in hot water from privacy regulators all over the world, who have accused the company of illegal interception of users' information, including audio, video, documents & emails. It could then potentially link these intercepted documents to a specific address.
The company is already facing criminal investigations in France over the matter. Several other countries, including Australia, the US & Germany, are inquiring in to whether Google breached information protection & computer hacking laws.
In the US, Google's secret information collection has prompted a class action lawsuit that could force the company to pay up to $US10,000 for each time it recorded information from unprotected hotspots, the International Business Times reported.
The search giant's co-founder, Sergey Brin, admitted last week that the company "screwed up" by accidentally gathering 600GB worth of private wireless information while taking pics for its Street View mapping service.
The move has landed it in hot water from privacy regulators all over the world, who have accused the company of illegal interception of users' information, including audio, video, documents & emails. It could then potentially link these intercepted documents to a specific address.
The company is already facing criminal investigations in France over the matter. Several other countries, including Australia, the US & Germany, are inquiring in to whether Google breached information protection & computer hacking laws.
In the US, Google's secret information collection has prompted a class action lawsuit that could force the company to pay up to $US10,000 for each time it recorded information from unprotected hotspots, the International Business Times reported.
Asked to reply to reports that it was still holding on to the sensitive information it collected, the company said it was waiting to listen to back from regulators in the countries it operates as to "how to quickly dispose of it".
But Google said last week it desired to "delete this information as soon as possible" & would not say why it had been unable to do so for Australia. It's already deleted personal Wi-Fi information it collected from networks in Ireland, Denmark & Austria.
"Given that there is some uncertainty about deletion usually, for example one DPA [Data Protection Authority] changed its instruction from delete to retain, they think it makes sense to keep the remaining country information while they work through these issues."
Asked repeatedly for a comment specifically relating to Australia, the Google spokeswoman said the list in its statement includes only "the countries where a call has been made". It did not dispute the assertion that this might be read as confirmation that it was keeping the Australian Wi-Fi information.
The company would not say why it needed help from Australian regulators in disposing of the private information. Some have speculated that Google is retaining the information in some countries in case it is necessary as proof in any court cases against Google.
Google has also decided to retain the information it collected from British home networks, but the United Kingdom Information Commissioner has said in response that it could see no reason for preserving the information & asked Google to delete it as soon as moderately feasible.
But Google said last week it desired to "delete this information as soon as possible" & would not say why it had been unable to do so for Australia. It's already deleted personal Wi-Fi information it collected from networks in Ireland, Denmark & Austria.
"Given that there is some uncertainty about deletion usually, for example one DPA [Data Protection Authority] changed its instruction from delete to retain, they think it makes sense to keep the remaining country information while they work through these issues."
Asked repeatedly for a comment specifically relating to Australia, the Google spokeswoman said the list in its statement includes only "the countries where a call has been made". It did not dispute the assertion that this might be read as confirmation that it was keeping the Australian Wi-Fi information.
The company would not say why it needed help from Australian regulators in disposing of the private information. Some have speculated that Google is retaining the information in some countries in case it is necessary as proof in any court cases against Google.
Google has also decided to retain the information it collected from British home networks, but the United Kingdom Information Commissioner has said in response that it could see no reason for preserving the information & asked Google to delete it as soon as moderately feasible.
Last week, the Australian Privacy Commissioner, Karen Curtis, said they was launching an inquiry in to Google's wireless information collection. They said the information collected appeared to be limited but such collection was a "likely breach of the Privacy Act".
Today, Curtis said her office met Google last week & while the company answered a range of questions, the regulator "had a series of further questions which they have asked Google to reply to".
"When they have received Google's response to these additional questions they will be in a position to make recommendations about the destruction of information,” said Curtis.
Electronic Frontiers Australia spokesman Colin Jacobs said they was pleased that Google had acknowledged it had crossed a line in collecting the information & was willing to take appropriate steps.
"The only antidotes to concerns about what happened to this information are first, to delete it as soon as practicable, & secondly to be transparent with the public about what they are doing & when," they said.
"I'm hoping we'll see some satisfactory action on both of these as soon as feasible."
Today, Curtis said her office met Google last week & while the company answered a range of questions, the regulator "had a series of further questions which they have asked Google to reply to".
"When they have received Google's response to these additional questions they will be in a position to make recommendations about the destruction of information,” said Curtis.
Electronic Frontiers Australia spokesman Colin Jacobs said they was pleased that Google had acknowledged it had crossed a line in collecting the information & was willing to take appropriate steps.
"The only antidotes to concerns about what happened to this information are first, to delete it as soon as practicable, & secondly to be transparent with the public about what they are doing & when," they said.
"I'm hoping we'll see some satisfactory action on both of these as soon as feasible."
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