Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Slips For The 2nd Session
Shares of Google Inc(NASDAQ:GOOG) extended its downtrend for the second consecutive session and lost 0.89% to $572.38.
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) sent a letter to Google Inc for investigation of the Street view service provided by GOOG. The Street View service has been alleged of unlawfully intercepting and storing personal data.
The investigation was re-opened after the contradictions between statements given by the U.S Federal Communications Commission and the company. According to the company, the payload data was collected unintentionally and according to a statement by a Google spokesman, the data has never been used and nor has it been even looked at.
The FCC charged Google a fine of $25,000 last month for the same. The U.K. inquiry into the Street View in November, 2010 ended with the yielding of the Mountain View, California-based Google into further audits of its privacy practices. One has been published in August, 2011 but will be reviewed this year to check if the ICO recommendations were followed.
Google has been accused of acquiring data, not needed for its service, from the transmission units since May, 2007. According a statement by the FCC, Google has been gathering the payload data including e-mails, text messages, passwords, internet-usage history and other sensitive personal information.
An email by Nick Pickles, director at Big Brother watch, an Oxford, England-based privacy and civil liberties advocacy group confirmed its accordance with the ICO decision. He strongly feels that Google should be scrutinized thoroughly and that the company owes an explanation about the statement made in the probe of 2010.