Google Scanning for Your Mac Address?

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steiner666

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[citation][nom]captjack5169[/nom]This news is as funny as it is dangerous. As a network consultant having someone a mac address only matters depending on what you plan to do with it. Mac addresses are changable, maskable, and if you have something to hide you already know this. For the rest of us, I ll just quote what another network consultant. Google is the real life skynet.[/citation]

Saved me from having to type it.

Still, fuck google. They really are crossing the line. They think that everyone is willing to sacrifice privacy for the sake of a little added convenience that i'm sure only a small % of ppl will every make use of. And we're just supposed to trust that google will NEVER do anything unethical with all the data their collecting on everyone.
 

zachary k

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Google is evil for making knowledge that you can find out yourself readily available. of course governments would think that is evil, some governments don't want people to know stuff, and act more like sheep.
Google is like the federation from star trek, they have good intentions, but everyone thinks Google is evil because they themselves are evil and going around being goody 2 shoes in on their turf.
 

jecastej

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We live with certain amount of paranoia this days. Most of the times not just because of what we know already but indeed because of what we don't know. I am a regular network challenged joe, with a locked router anyway, but I wonder. Not a very good network consultant can't detect "anything wrong with it". But if that information exist and becomes useful, or someone finds a use, shouldn't we act before that happens? Sorry, more paranoia... Kind of, lets protect Bigfoot with a law just in the remote scenario he is a real creature?... We the people want to know!!! lol

I like Google Street View and I don't find anything wrong with it...
 
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Even if Google is doing this with no harmful intentions, if they make the data available, it may be used for harmful purposes. There is no reason to make this kind of data available without permissions.
 

DM0407

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Having an unsecured network is asking for someone to steal personal information.

Having Google post your unsecured network information on the internet isn't going to help...
 

Brent_NC

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I routinely scan networks where I am. Whats the difference? I could care less if Google finds the WLAN that I am "Broadcasting". They still can't connect to it, so why should I care?

This is no different than someone standing in their front yard screaming their phone number or email address. Not really a big deal in my opinion.

If you don't want to have your network viewed by others then don't broadcast. Pretty simple really.
 
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All they can really do is get your routers MAC anyway, layer 2 information is stripped off at each hop and replaced.
 

LORD_ORION

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Well, they did, they got the data.... and... you ask them to stop and you are appled?????!?!?!

This is why they keep doing this shit. If you, say.... flayed the CEO and put his head on a pike... chances are the next one would have better discretion.
 

nicodemus_mm

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Scanning for hotspots... right. This is not an area where you'll find hotspots. Cows don't use WiFi... yet. *sigh* This and their CEO's position on privacy are why I won't use Google products if it can be helped. Do No Evil... really?
 
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Here's my two cents on Google's way of doing "sneaky business".

Google is not an entity that can go around and do whatever "Google" pleases. It is still bound by the same rules/laws and restrictions the rest of us are bound by. If Joe the plumber were to go around and gather everyone's MAC addresses, he would be charged with invasion of privacy.

My idea/solution for Google:

We don't care THAT you're doing it, we just want to KNOW what you are doing, and why you have to be so sneaky.

If the US Government has to become transparent and tell us what they are planning on doing, why can't Google ( a publicly traded company none the less) tell us what they plan to do?

Put it out in the open, then there won't be as much backlash from the people/governments.



Of course, if Google has this information of what they're doing and when they're doing it on the website somewhere then what I just said is null and void.

That's just my thought.

Have at it.
 

dxwarlock

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[citation][nom]thinslicedbread[/nom]Here's my two cents on Google's way of doing "sneaky business".Google is not an entity that can go around and do whatever "Google" pleases. It is still bound by the same rules/laws and restrictions the rest of us are bound by. If Joe the plumber were to go around and gather everyone's MAC addresses, he would be charged with invasion of privacy. [/citation]

no he wouldn't there is no law stating that its illegal to scan my neighborhood with my smartphone or laptop.

if that was the case, watch out everyone that lives in apartments, your invading privacy every time you scan for your router and 10 other peoples pop up.
 

mayne92

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[citation][nom]DXWarlock[/nom]well I think anyone thats running a wifi at home wide open with no security deserves to have google obtain info about it. a simple WPA(WPA2)or even WEP setup is all you need. wifi has been around long enough that if you have it at home..spending 3 minutes to set that up should be common sense.[/citation]
All of those can be cracked easily...it was a nice class project ;-)
 

mayne92

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[citation][nom]Dirtman73[/nom]Why is anyone surprised by this?[/citation]
Surprised by what? What are they going to do with the MAC addresses? Steal your identity...haha. lean2network
 

spoofedpacket

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lol @ people who think a database of MAC addresses and locations of wifi routers is a big deal.

I recommend you guys study TCP/IP Illustrated from cover to cover before considering yourself a geek.
 

mayne92

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[citation][nom]thinslicedbread[/nom]Here's my two cents on Google's way of doing "sneaky business".Google is not an entity that can go around and do whatever "Google" pleases. It is still bound by the same rules/laws and restrictions the rest of us are bound by. If Joe the plumber were to go around and gather everyone's MAC addresses, he would be charged with invasion of privacy. My idea/solution for Google:We don't care THAT you're doing it, we just want to KNOW what you are doing, and why you have to be so sneaky. If the US Government has to become transparent and tell us what they are planning on doing, why can't Google ( a publicly traded company none the less) tell us what they plan to do?Put it out in the open, then there won't be as much backlash from the people/governments. Of course, if Google has this information of what they're doing and when they're doing it on the website somewhere then what I just said is null and void. That's just my thought. Have at it.[/citation]
Next thread...I've reached my noob threshold...
 

orionite

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Yes google are collecting information that i could quite easily collect myself, but the difference is a) the scale and b) commercial use of this information. Furthermore, just because anyone can do it, doesn't make it right!

I don't want anyone, neither the government nor a company, going around and record my wireless-anything. Yeah, you can do it from a public street, but I have to friggin live somewhere. How about I walk around with a tele-optic camera and film you through your window. "What the hell do you want? I'm on a public road!"
 

sactownbwoy

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I believe Skyhook is already doing this so why does everyone have their panties in a bunch about Google doing it. I don't care if someone scans my router, it is broadcasting afterall
 
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