Lawmakers Want Answers in Google Wi-Fi Snag

A trio of lawmakers is calling on Google to detail the extent of its Street View operation following the revelation that the company’s cars inadvertently collected Internet content traveling over unsecured wireless networks.

Google reiterates that it was a mistake and insists that it broke no law, though some authorities in Europe are pursuing criminal probes, and the congressmen wonder if the Wi-Fi intercept might put the company on the wrong side of U.S. statute.

The Wi-Fi controversy comes amid increasing scrutiny over Internet companies’ data-collection practices and their impact on online privacy. eSecurity Planet has the details.

Three prominent U.S. lawmakers have asked Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) to answer questions about the inadvertent collection of wireless data traffic through its Street View program, continuing government scrutiny into an unwelcome privacy controversy for the search giant.

In a letter (PDF format) to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas) asked the company to provide information about the extent of its Street View operations in the United States and the procedures it has in place to safeguard personal information.

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Lawmakers Ask Google for Answers on Wi-Fi Data Snare