Google considers itself above government, accountable to no one-Australian Communications Minister

5/25: "(Australian) Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has lashed out at Google, accusing the internet giant of the single biggest breach of privacy in history.

• In recent weeks Google has been criticised after revelations that its Street View photo cars were also collecting information about people's wireless internet connections....

He says Google considers itself accountable to no-one and he has singled out the internet giant's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, for special criticism.

• "I think that the approach taken by Mr Schmidt is a bit creepy, frankly," Senator Conroy said.

"When it comes to their attitude to their own censorship, their response is simply, 'trust us'. That is what they actually state on their website: 'Trust us'."

• Several national privacy commissioners have raised concerns over Google's collection of wi-fi data, a practice which has ceased since it was made public.

Senator Conroy says Google considers itself to be above government.

• "They consider that they are the appropriate people to make the decisions about people's privacy data and that
• they are perfectly entitled to drive the streets and collect as much private information by photographing over fences and collecting data information," he said.

"This is probably the single greatest breach in the history of privacy."...

• "Google have admitted to doing this and claim it was a mistake in the software code," he said....

Google has also been a critic of the Government's proposed internet filtering plan, but Senator Conroy insists his comments are not payback."...

• from Australian Broadcasting Co., "Conroy slams 'creepy' Google" photo google camera in Amsterdam, afp

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