Illinois Attorney General Starts Google Probe

By Prescott Carlson in News on Jun 17, 2010 9:00PM

Search engine leader Google has found itself facing legal scrutiny after information went public last month that the company had accidentally scraped 600GB of data from Wi-Fi networks as their Street View vehicles combed streets all over the world snapping pictures for the service. Despite assuring the U.S. Congress that it did nothing illegal, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan along with her counterparts in approximately 30 other states and as well as France, Germany and Australia are starting their own investigation of the matter to see if any of Google's data collection practices broke the law.

In a news release issued by Madigan's office she said:

"It is disturbing that Google has been collecting this data since 2007. We have asked Google to explain in detail exactly what information it has collected and what it is doing with the information. Illinoisans deserve these answers."

Madigan is also not trusting of giant corporations that claim no wrongdoing, adding:

"Google is asking consumers to take them at their word. My office takes issues concerning privacy and the security of personal information very seriously, and we are investigating Google's actions to determine whether any laws were broken and what steps must be taken to protect the privacy of Illinois residents."

Google claims it collected only fragments of data because their Street View cars are constantly moving, and that it did not use the data for any purpose. The company has temporarily stopped using the Street View cars until the issue is resolved.