Google issued a public apology today.
The company announced it has accidentally been collecting personal and private data sent over wireless networks for the past three years.
The admission comes just two weeks after Google had denied any wrongdoing.
Today's admission is expected to raise more privacy worries about the internet search leader.
And this all has to do with the Google cars, which you may have seen around Oahu and Maui last year.
When you type in our station's address in Google maps, and click on street view, this is what you get -- a snapshot taken outside of the KHON2 Broadcast Center last May, when the Google car passed by our news station.
These street view cars have been snapping photos in over 30 countries since 2007.
But as it turns out, the cars were also snapping up personal data that people were sending over unprotected WiFi networks -- including the emails they were sending, the websites they were visiting, and the online videos they were watching.
"There may be some serious legal issues resulting from it because if you intercept data that's being transmitted this violates wiretap rules," said James Kerr of SuperGeeks.
Google disclosed today on its official blog that it collected the private data by mistake, and blames it on a programming error.
"I don't think Google has any intention to mine that data or drilling into it, harvest something out of it. I legitimately feel they did something dumb, and I believe they're sincerely apologetic about it," said Kerr.
Google discovered the error after regulators in Germany -- concerned about privacy issues -- started asking questions about "Street View."
Google now plans to delete the info it accidentally collected.
"If you're a resident of Hawaii and the Google car happened to pass by your place, I wouldn't worry about it. The important message is if you have an unprotected wireless network, it's important to protect it," said Kerr.
Some things you can do to protect your wireless network: change your log-in and password, and encrypt your router.
