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Google's greatest controversies and biggest foul-ups

Summary: A run down of some of the most controversial decisions or actions by Google, including some of their biggest mistakes to date.

By Zack Whittaker | May 27, 2011 -- 06:00 GMT (23:00 PDT)

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Google came under heavy fire from critics and supporters alike, when it was discovered that a rogue piece of code in Google Maps' Street View cars allowed the collection of unencrypted wireless data, from houses and businesses as it drove by.

After Google admitted its mistake, through a data audit demanded by Germany's data protection authority, the company said it would not delete the data even though the British data protection agency said that it could be.

Google faces criminal investigations in Germany, and was only given a 'slap on the wrist' by British regulators. But Germany's data protection laws are far stricter, even though all EU countries read from the same European data protection directive.

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For more on company controversies, check out Zack Whittaker's iGeneration column or for more on Google, visit the ZDNet Googling Google column.

Topics: Social Enterprise, Google, China

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7 comments

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RE: Google's greatest controversies and biggest foul-ups

why do I keep reading teh BS about google. It is liek Watching a G rated Horror Flick

Ez_Customs
27 May, 2011 09:00

Reply Vote
RE: Google's greatest controversies and biggest foul-ups

seriously you got to be kidding me im an artist, and I have a huge imagination, but you gotta be smoking DMT 1) to maybe first see the burning flag. 2)To even think, that is worth making a report about.

-The Dead, Shop

bosleyjack@...
27 May, 2011 10:49

Reply Vote
Flag burning? Really?

Who in their right mind saw that image as a burning flag? Only a conspiracy nuts would have come up with that!

mlandon
27 May, 2011 10:50

Reply Vote
Haven't you seen the face of evil in apple sign

Conspiracy theorists can make anything out of thin air or thick cloud

binuvarghese
27 May, 2011 13:03

Reply Vote
RE: Google's greatest controversies and biggest foul-ups

Someone is trying to get famous from seeing this as a flag burning.

guywayne
1 June, 2011 18:38

Reply Vote
RE: Google's greatest controversies and biggest foul-ups

Test

flobi15
1 June, 2011 23:07

Reply Vote
Flag issue shouldn't have been included.

This (flag burning doodle reference) is only adding to a controversy that never should have existed in the first place. The "Doodle" is obviously the sun shining through the clouds, through the flag itself which is showing the top of the "e" in "Google" as a silhouette through the flag. Controversial my behind.

bandersnatch42vt
2 June, 2011 12:19

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