Google ordered to destroy personal data

8 Aug 2012, 5:46 pm   -   Source: AAP

Google has been ordered to destroy a new cache of personal data gathered by its Street View camera cars in 2010.

The privacy commissioner wants Google to ensure all personal data collected by its Street View vehicles in 2010 has been totally destroyed.

Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim wrote to the internet search giant on Monday asking it to immediately destroy the data and permanently remove all traces from its systems.

"I would also request that Google undertakes and audit to ensure that no other disks containing this data exist," he wrote in the letter, published on his department's website.

"I am concerned that the existence of these additional disks has come to light, particularly as Google had advised that the data was destroyed."

In 2010 Google's Street View application came under scrutiny in several countries after it admitted it had been gathered personal data sent over unsecured wireless networks.

A Google spokesman told a parliamentary committee in October 2010 wireless internet data collected from Australian households had yet to be deleted.

Mr Pilgrim' letter says Google advised his office in March 2011 the personal details had been wiped.

But the company advised him on July 27 it had uncovered more disks storing similar data.

Mr Pilgrim thanked the company for telling him of the discovery.

"(I) look forward to confirmation that the data has been destroyed," he wrote.

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