Google under investigation

The Herald reports:

Police are investigating allegations that computer giant Google illegally gathered personal email and wireless internet data during its “Street View” operation in New Zealand. …

Representatives of the police and the Privacy Commissioner met yesterday to discuss Google’s possible breach of the Crimes Act after concerns were expressed about reports it had collected WiFi information while photographing houses and streets with 3D cameras for Street View, its online mapping service.

Google has acknowledged it collected fragments of data over public WiFi networks in more than 30 countries, though it is not known what kind of information was involved.

This is key. If all Google did was collect SSIDs, then I can’t see how that is a breach of the Crimes Act. If they were somehow accessing the data going over a wireless network, then there could be issues.