Google Loses Bid to Dismiss Street View Suit Over Privacy-Violation Claims

U.S. District Judge James Ware in San Francisco denied Google’s bid to dismiss claims that the data collection, which included e-mails, user names, passwords and other private data, violated federal wiretap laws. Ware granted Google’s request to dismiss claims based on state statutes.

The class-action, or group lawsuit was filed on behalf of residents living in nine U.S. states whose homes can be seen depicted on Google Street View. The case is the first in which a federal court is being asked to determine whether a company can be found liable under federal wiretap laws based on allegations that it intentionally intercepted data from a wireless home network, according to Ware’s opinion.

While Google publicly disclosed its intent to use vehicles equipped with cameras to capture photos, it failed to say it also intended to capture wireless data, Ware wrote. The Mountain View, California-based company argued it couldn’t be found liable for federal wiretapping violations because the Wi-Fi broadcasts were unencrypted and “readily accessible” to the general public.