Google facing intense heat over snooped Wi-Fi data

Google's Wi-Fi collection problems roll on

The controversy resulting from Google's mistaken Wi-Fi data gathering snooping continues.

Google snagged some information about home user Wi-Fi accounts as its Street View cars passed through neighbourhoods. The search giant has already faced questions in a number of countries over its activities, including the UK where the Information Commissioner requested Google delete the collected data but declined to take further action.

Google is now under fire in Connecticut, where Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has posed a number of difficult questions to the firm.

According to a statement from the Office of the Attorney General, despite confirming that it did gather personal information in other locations, for example Ireland, Google has not responded to calls for clarification as to whether it happened in Connecticut.

"Driveby data sweeps of unsecured Wi-Fi networks here would be deeply disturbing, a potentially impermissible, pernicious invasion of privacy," Blumenthal said.

"Consumers and businesses rightly expect Google to respect their privacy, not invade it by vacuuming up confidential data."

In order to remove his concerns Blumenthal is seeking to force Google to disclose whether it did take any personal information, and if so what kind. Once this has been handed over the details will be scrutinised, he added.

"My office can evaluate whether laws were broken. Concealed internet capture by Google's high-tech cars may violate valid expectations of privacy, making it possibly illegal. If personal data was collected, Google must disclose how widely it was captured, how it was stored, who had access to it and the purpose, " Blumenthal said.

"Unauthorised surveillance of wireless network data is the dark side of the new internet era, and I will fight it."

According to an Associated Press report, Google has already responded to Blumenthal's charges, however.

"As we have said before, this was a mistake," said a Google spokeswoman in an email statement to Associated Press. "Google did nothing illegal and we are working with the relevant authorities to answer their questions and concerns."