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March 13

Maine gets $100K in settlement with Google

STAFF REPORT

AUGUSTA — Maine will receive more than $100,000 as part of a multi-state settlement with Google over its collection of data from unsecured wireless networks while taking photographs for its Street View mapping service.

Maine was one of 38 states and the District of Columbia in a $7 million settlement agreement that bans unauthorized data collection, requires training of Google employees on privacy and includes a nationwide campaign to educate consumers on protecting their private information, according to a press release from the Attorney General’s Office.

Google maintained it was unaware the network user data was being collected and has since disabled or removed the equipment and software used to collect the data from its Street View vehicles.

Maine’s share of the settlement funds may be used to cover the costs of litigation or be used for future consumer protection or privacy enforcement and consumer education, the AG’s office said.

Other states participating in the settlement are Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
 

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