FTC closes investigation of Google over data collection
The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that it had closed its investigation into Google Inc.’s collection of data over unsecured wireless networks after the Internet giant pledged to strengthen privacy controls.
The agency also said the Mountain View, Calif., company agreed not to use the data it says it inadvertently collected while operating a fleet of vehicles for its Street View mapping service, according to a letter from David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, to Albert Gidari, a Google attorney.
Google will not face any fines in the U.S. but is still subject to investigations elsewhere in the world.
The inquiries stem from an acknowledgment from Google in May that it had intercepted data from unsecured wireless networks. Last week, Google said it discovered that, rather than just fragments, it had in some cases collected e-mail messages and passwords. The company has no plans to resume collecting information about the location of wireless networks with its Street View cars.
Google last week also outlined steps, such as privacy training for employees, that it was taking to safeguard consumer privacy.
