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Google knows nearly every Wi-Fi password in the world

blogs.computerworld.com

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Re: Google knows nearly every Wi-Fi password in the world

#11

Post by anxiousest »

zobzu wrote: post #7
anxiousest wrote: post #4

Not sure what the author is after here. I mean he's not breaking any news, he admits as much, he also links to some of the articles that were published weeks ago that do a better job of discussing the security/convenience trade offs. Seems like he missed the furore at the the time and decided to compensate with a woefully inaccurate and baiting headline.

yes, but to be fair, this issue deserves to be more well known. it wont be fixed if google isn't blamed and shamed for it repeatedly.

'Blamed and shamed'?! I don't even think it's an issue, your wifi password isn't that of your bank account. They store your emails unencrypted for crying out loud, wifi passwords pale in comparison. It's a non issue.

Re: Google knows nearly every Wi-Fi password in the world

#13

Post by batemanesque »

crb wrote: post #9

Google also knows all the secrets of General David Petraeus, or anyone else that uses Gmail. And everything you've (secretly) searched for. Google's business model is based on aggregating that information and gaining value out of the data, mostly in the form of advertising. As soon as it lets a major secret out, even just once, it's game over, and no-one will ever trust a secret to Google again. This is why they publ…

I agree that it's unlikely Google as a whole would decide to read/use confidential data. on the other hand, the idea that someone w/in Google might abuse their position is completely plausible.

if we know that people at the NSA were passing around phone sex calls by US troops, do you really want to keep trusting that no-one at Google will ever do anything problematic w/ yr data?

edit: to be clear, I use Google services all the time & store a lot of confidential data w/ them. but there need to be institutional (whether at Google or outside it) safeguards that go beyond trusting a company as a whole to always behave in a way compatible w/ its own rational self-interest.

Re: Google knows nearly every Wi-Fi password in the world

#14

Post by lotsofcows »

zobzu wrote: post #7
anxiousest wrote: post #4

Not sure what the author is after here. I mean he's not breaking any news, he admits as much, he also links to some of the articles that were published weeks ago that do a better job of discussing the security/convenience trade offs. Seems like he missed the furore at the the time and decided to compensate with a woefully inaccurate and baiting headline.

yes, but to be fair, this issue deserves to be more well known. it wont be fixed if google isn't blamed and shamed for it repeatedly.

Blamed and shamed for what? I suspect most people are more than happy that they can carry their existing settings across to a new 'phone and it Just Works™...

Re: Google knows nearly every Wi-Fi password in the world

#17

Post by demallien »

[deleted] wrote: post #12

[deleted]

That's not the problem - choosing to give up your own secrets is fine, but giving up the wifi password of your friend's router because they kindly let you use the network whilst visiting is not cool at all. I personally refuse to allow access by friends with Android devices, and they are shocked to learn what Google does when I explain why...

Re: Google knows nearly every Wi-Fi password in the world

#18

Post by wingerlang »

0x006A wrote: post #16

And in addition to that they have the audacity to not make them accessible to the user! No way to look up your own wireless password in your phone, i.e. to tell a guest, thats just ridiculous.

On (jailbroken) iOS there is an app which displays all saved WIFI passwords. I am sure there are something similar to Androids.

Re: Google knows nearly every Wi-Fi password in the world

#19

Post by nekopa »

anxiousest wrote: post #11
zobzu wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes, but to be fair, this issue deserves to be more well known. it wont be fixed if google isn't blamed and shamed for it repeatedly.

'Blamed and shamed'?! I don't even think it's an issue, your wifi password isn't that of your bank account. They store your emails unencrypted for crying out loud, wifi passwords pale in comparison. It's a non issue.

My gmail is my personal email choice. I know the risks associated with that and accept them in return for the convenience of google email. On the other hand, my employer may not like that google has the password to our company's internal wifi. That's why I think there may be a bit of an issue here.
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