The UK's data regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, has reopened its investigation into Google's Street View service, saying that a probe in the United States raised new doubts about the controversial project. Steve Eckersley, enforcement chief of the British Information Commissioner's Office, said the search giant has important questions to answer about its Street View project.
Google's Street View project involves camera-equipped vehicles snooping across the world to create three-dimensional maps. The cars, however, were not simply taking pictures, they were also scooping up passwords, Web addresses, emails, and other sensitive data sent over unsecured wireless networks.
'We Did Not Want this Data'
The data-scooping issue was exposed in early 2010, creating outrage and controversy worldwide. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) was one of the European agencies investigating Street View in light of the scandal. In November 2010, the ICO only gave Google a warning, saying that it indeed violated British data protection laws but it would not be fined if it pledged not to do it again. Google insisted that the data-tapping was purely accidental. "We did not want this data, have never used any of it in our products and services, and have sought to delete it as quickly as possible," said Google at the time.
It Was Deliberate, Says FCC
Earlier this year, however, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has shaken Google's defense that it did not intend to collect any such data. According to an April 13 report, the FCC found that Google's data collection was in fact deliberate, the work of a Google engineer who knew what he was doing. Moreover, his Street View colleagues had also been briefed on the matter, found the FCC.
The report further noted that investigations in France, the Netherlands and Canada revealed that Google tapped complete email messages, IM conversations, audio, video, medical and legal information, and even data related to pornographic Web sites.
ICO's Letter to Google
In a letter on Monday, June 11, sent to Google executive Alan Eustace and posted on the ICO Web site, Eckersley said the U.S. watchdog's report flatly contradicted what Google had told his agency back in 2010, at the time of investigation. "We were specifically told by Google that it was a simple mistake," read the letter. "If the data was collected deliberately, then it is clear that this is a different situation than was reported to us in April 2010."
The ICO decided to reopen the investigation, said Eckersley, demanding copies of Google's original software design document, internal company memos, as well as a "substantial explanation" of why Google failed to provide more information earlier. "I would be grateful if you could provide a prompt response," read the letter, according to the Associated Press.
Google's Response
In a response on Tuesday, Google again insisted that its employees were not aware the Street View program was collecting such data. "We're happy to answer the ICO's questions," said Google in a written statement to reporters. The statement also noted that Google's project leaders have "never even looked" at the accidentally collected data.
The Information Commissioner's Office has the power to impose substantial fines of up to £500,000 (about $780,000) for the most serious data breaches.
