Leaked documents expose privacy breaches at Google between 2013-2019

Recently obtained documents reveal a series of privacy breaches at Google between 2013 and 2019. These breaches, numbering in the thousands, encompass various incidents involving user data collected across multiple Google services, including YouTube, AdWords, and Waze.

According to reports from 404 Media, Google’s mishandling of user data stemmed from a combination of errors by company staff and contractors, flaws in Google’s products and services, and vulnerabilities in third-party vendors. Despite the severity of these breaches, Google reportedly did not disclose them publicly, despite claiming to adhere to transparency policies.

Among the incidents highlighted in the leaked documents are the accidental collection of children’s voice data through the Gboard microphone, leakage of carpool users’ trip and home address data on Waze, collection of license plate information via Street View, and YouTube recommendations based on deleted watch history.

Additionally, instances of leaked early-access video game footage by a Google contractor and manipulation of affiliate tracking codes on AdWords accounts were reported, further exacerbating privacy concerns.

In response to these revelations, Google stated that all reported issues had been reviewed and resolved. They emphasized that employees could flag potential product issues for review by relevant teams, with priority levels suggested by the employee. Google also asserted that it had implemented hundreds of new user security and privacy protections over the past six years.