Britain has launched an investigation into whether Google invaded people's privacy and violated communication and privacy laws by 'mistakenly' gathering personal data over public wi-fi networks.
The Metropolitan Police has said it was probing into complaints that the search engine picked up people's online activities through unprotected home and business networks while photographing neighbourhoods for its 'street view' mapping feature.
"The matter is now under consideration. It is yet to be determined what, if any, offences may have allegedly occurred," a spokesman of Met Police said.
It is the latest in a string of controversies about Google's access to private data including e-mail addresses, passwords, bank account information and web browsing histories.
Last month, Google acknowledged it had mistakenly collected data from public wi-fi networks in more than 30 countries.
Police in Australia have also launched their own investigations into the matter.
