FCC To Put Heat On Google Street View

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched an investigation into whether Google violated federal laws when it collected personal data like portions of emails, passwords, web browsing behaviors and other information over Wi-Fi networks while gathering information and photographs for its Street View satellite mapping service.

Google's Street View service and its data collection methods have already come under fire and have been the target of several probes both in the U.S. and abroad. To collect data for Street View, Google deploys fleets of vehicles to photograph streets in cities and towns globally. Last month it was revealed that some Google Street View cars had used Wi-Fi to collect emails, passwords and other personal data while gathering Street View information, more data than it had originally realized when it first discovered mix up in May.

"In light of their public disclosure, we can now confirm that the Enforcement Bureau is looking into whether these actions violate the Communications Act," Michele Ellison, chief of the FCC's enforcement bureau told Reuters on Wednesday regarding the investigation.

Meanwhile, Google said it will cooperate with authorities during the investigation and apologized for the misstep. Google also said it will delete the data as soon as it is allowed. Google first admitted the gaffe in a blog post earlier this year.

In May, Google revealed that it recently discovered that it had been collecting the data for four years without knowledge and had acquired roughly 600 GB of data transmitted via public Wi-Fi networks in more than 30 countries. The search giant contended that none of that data or information was made public on search engines or via any of its applications or other offerings.

Google's Street View offers street-level pictures via its mapping service. To gather those images Google deploys a fleet of cars equipped with cameras to capture 360-degree views and link those images with GPS and mapping data.

The FCC probe comes just two weeks after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shut down its own similar inquiry. The FTC found that while Google collected potentially sensitive information for several years without realizing it, Google had taken the necessary measures to thwart similar issues in the future. Google also launched privacy training for all 23,000 employees and appointed a new privacy director.

It is unclear what course of action the FCC will take if Google is found to have violated federal laws.

"In light of their public disclosure, we can now confirm that the Enforcement Bureau is looking into whether these actions violate the Communications Act," Ellison told the New York Times . "As the agency charged with overseeing the public airwaves, we are committed to ensuring that the consumers affected by this breach of privacy receive a full and fair accounting."