Mike Elgan explains Why Google should be allowed to ‘harvest’ your Wi-Fi data
“Even if the broadcaster is ignorant of the fact that speaking into a radio conveys his voice into the public space, it’s still not illegal for someone else to listen to it or record it.
“In each of these cases — the TV in the window, the walkie-talkie, the ham radio or the CB radio — the data is being broadcast via electromagnetic radiation out into the public airwaves and therefore it is not a violation of privacy for someone else to receive and record the data.
“A Wi-Fi signal is exactly the same thing. It uses electromagnetic radiation to broadcast data into the public airwaves.”
This has been a factor in regards to amateur radio regulation since day 1. These days, this thing about privacy being anything someone wants it to be is used to stir paranoia and hysteria. Google got caught up in it not only by having a wifi receiver in their street view rig but also in just the fact that they were taking pictures of what you could see when driving on public streets.
Take care, big bro’ is watching and there is nothing you can do about it?
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