Google finds cheap way out of multibillion-dollar ‘Wi-Spy’ suit

Vehicles used by Google for its Street View mapping project reportedly scooped up personal data from unencrypted household WiFi networks belonging to millions of people worldwide.

Google is poised to pay a modest US$13mil (RM53.4mil) to end a 2010 privacy lawsuit that was once called the biggest US wiretap case ever and threatened the Internet giant with billions of dollars in damages.

The settlement would close the books on a scandal that was touched off by trucks used by Google for its Street View mapping project. Cars and trucks scooped up emails, passwords and other personal information from unencrypted household WiFi networks belonging to tens of millions of people all over the world.