Among the examples of data inappropriately collected or leaked were payment information for employees through travel agency software Sabre, addresses and trips taken through Waze’s carpool feature, and Docs files mistakenly made public.
In response to the 404 Media report, Google stated that the reports were over six years old and had been reviewed and resolved. However, the company’s confirmation of “aspects” of the dataset suggests that there may be some truth to the allegations.
This is not the first time Google has faced scrutiny over its data practices. Recent leaks of Google Search API documents, obtained by the same company, have also raised questions about the company’s transparency regarding its search operations. The authenticity of that particular leak, while potentially taking months to fully analyze, has not been disputed by Google when questioned.
These revelations add to a growing list of privacy concerns surrounding Google’s data collection practices, and it looks like Google has some damage control due ahead. As users become increasingly aware of this leaked material, it remains to be seen how this will impact the company’s reputation and future operations.