Google escapes Street View data breach fine

Search engine giant agrees to stop Street View cars from collecting personal data

Eyes on the road: Google Street View cars have been caught collecting personal data from unsecured wi-fi networks

Google could face a fine of up to £500,000 if its Street View cars are caught collecting data again, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned.

The search giant came under fire last month after it emerged that its fleet of Google Street View cars had collected personal data, including emails and passwords, from unsecured wi-fi networks across the UK.

The ICO has ordered Google to sign a formal undertaking, confirming it will take action to ensure similar data breaches do not happen in future. It has also been ordered to carry out an audit of its data protection strategy.

If Google fails to comply, the data protection watchdog has confirmed it will take further action and could impose a financial penalty on the firm.

Since April, the ICO has had powers to impose fines of up to £500,000 against firms caught in breach of the Data Protection Act.

Christopher Graham, head of the ICO, said Google’s data collection activities breached the “first principle of the Data Protection Act".

He added: "The most appropriate and proportionate regulatory action in these circumstances is to get written legal assurance from Google that this will not happen again.”