No Personal Info in Google Wi-Fi Data, U.K. Group Says

Data protection authorities in the U.K. said this week that they are satisfied that Google's recent unauthorized Wi-Fi data collection did not include any meaningful personal data about residents in the region.

"On the basis of the samples we saw we are satisfied so far that it is unlikely that Google will have captured significant amounts of personal data," the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said after ICO officials went to Google's office to examine the U.K. data. "There is also no evidence as yet that the data captured by Google has caused or could cause any individual detriment." "We wanted to make our own judgment as to the likelihood that significant personal data had been retained and, if so, the extent of any intrusion," the organization said. That examination led the ICO to conclude that the data "does not include meaningful personal details that could be linked to an identifiable person." ICO stressed that it could not comment on data collected in other countries, and said it will "remain vigilant and will be reviewing any relevant findings and evidence from our international counterparts' investigations."