Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic on Monday moved towards investigating Google following the internet group’s disclosure that it had recorded communications sent over unsecured wireless networks in people’s homes.
Peter Schaar, the German commissioner for data protection, called for a “detailed probe” by independent authorities into the practice by Google.
He said the group’s explanation of the collection of data as an accident was “highly unusual”.
“One of the largest companies in the world, the market leader on the internet, simply disobeyed normal rules in the development and usage of software,” he said.
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission was expected to launch an inquiry as well, according to people who spoke to agency officials.
Privacy advocates said an inquiry could look at whether the collection of data breached rules on unauthorised access to computers and private communications.
“This may be one of the most massive surveillance incidents by a private corporation that has ever occurred”, said Marc Rotenberg, leader of the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Centre in Washington...
