Google has announced a method to let wireless access point owners all over the world opt out of having their AP included in Google’s Location Server.
Google Location Server is a large location database that lists access points all over the world. Its purpose is not to identify people, Google says, but to be able to quickly determine the location of a mobile phone owner by looking for wireless APs that are physically close to that person.
However, some AP owners might not want to be included in the database. Now, Google is offering a simple solution: change the wireless network name (SSID) of your network so that it ends with “_nomap” and your AP won’t be included in the Location Server.
So if, for example, your SSID is “go_away,” change it to “go_away_nomap” and you’ll be set. The next time someone’s mobile phone sends information about your AP to the Google Location Server, it will note the “_nomap” tag and removed your AP from the database.
If you don’t know how to change the SSID of your AP, Google has set up a help page with detailed instructions of how to do so.
Google had its share of troubles when it collected payload data from unencrypted Wi-Fi networks in 2010. Google apologized for the practice and stopped collecting the data, claiming it had done so inadvertently.
However, the incident caused a huge public outcry and inquiries into Google’s practices in several countries all over the world. With this latest move, Google is acting preemptively. By letting AP owners opt out of its location database, there’s less chance of anyone complaining over the practice of gathering AP data in the first place.
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