// Home / News

ICO sent "Keystone Cops" to probe Google, says MP

By Barry Collins

Posted on 10 Nov 2010 at 08:04

A Conservative MP has launched a stinging attack on the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for sending "non-technical staff" to investigate Google's Wi-Fi data breach.

Google initially escaped punishment earlier this year, after the company admitted inadvertently collecting personal data from open Wi-Fi connections with its Street View cars.

In a question tabled in Parliament, Conservative MP Robert Halfon asked how many staff the ICO had sent to investigate Google and what their technical qualifications were.

The ICO seems more Keystone Cops than protector of our civil liberties

The reply from fellow Conservative and Parliamentary under secretary Jonathan Djanogly revealed that: "Two staff from the Information Commissioner's Office participated in the visit to Google's headquarters in July 2010. As an assistant commissioner and a strategic liaison group manager, they were both senior staff with considerable experience in data protection law." However, the reply conspicuously made no mention of their technical expertise.

The response infuriated Halfon, who told The Guardian: "I find it astonishing that the Information Commissioner seemingly did not send technical people to investigate the Google breach of our private data.

"The ICO seems more Keystone Cops than protector of our civil liberties. It is extraordinary that the IOC can spend £13m on PR over 10 years but can't find the right resources to investigate breaches of our data protection."

Google has subsequently admitted that fragments of sensitive data such as passwords and email correspondence was collected by its Street View card.

Last week, the Information Commissioner said Google had committed a "a significant breach of the first principle of the Data Protection Act" and said the company would be subject to future data audits.

The ICO has defended its investigation into Google. "As senior data protection staff with considerable experience, the staff that visited Google’s offices were qualified to judge whether any of the information collected by Google was meaningful personal data and whether the Data Protection Act was breached. Advanced technical expertise was not needed to determine this," the ICO said in a statement.

“The Information Commissioner’s Office has a statutory duty to promote freedom of information and data protection. Clearly this involves significant investment in corporate activities such as communicating guidance. The majority of our costs are on staff who investigate data protection and freedom of information issues. We constantly look to ensure our work provides the best value for money.”

Subscribe to PC Pro magazine. We'll give you 3 issues for £1 plus a free gift - click here

From around the web

User comments

Robert Halfon MP

Is Robert Halfon 'technically qualified'? If so, he might realise that what Google captured were isolated packets from unsecured wireless networks, which MAY have contained unencrypted passwords and email data.

Not such a big deal really.

By Stiggy on 10 Nov 2010

"a strategic liaison group manager"

The use of the indefinite article implies there is more than one person with this job title. Anyone know what a strategic liaison group manager is or does -other than liaise strategically in a group?

By milliganp on 10 Nov 2010

ICO sent "Keystone Cops" to probe Google, Apple are wonderful" says MP

Your copy editor forgot to add the obligatory fawning Apple non-sequitur reference.

By Lacrobat on 10 Nov 2010

Strategic Liaison Group Manager

Sounds like he's a guy in charge of a group who's task is to strategicly liaise (a meanly-mouthed business-speak phrase if ever I heard one).

In other words, he's in charge of keeping Google sweet and on-side.

By alynsparkes on 10 Nov 2010

I think a relevant question is ..

WHY was google recording ANYTHING from wireless networks .. obviously they knew they were doing it, as they put an enormous amount of resource into collecting this data

By redgar3 on 10 Nov 2010

Google Exposes WiFi Security Weakness.

I have employed at least one so-called Government IT Specialist’ who advertised his services for hire locally. Only to be amazed by his almost total lack of ‘Basic IT Skills’. Hence I have collated documented evidence to this affect by way of e-mails between parties.

Perhaps we should be grateful that the Wi-Fi Security weaknesses was exposed by Street View’s Cars as this has brought this matter to the attention of so many people.

Just think (if you are using Wi-Fi) as you are reading this comment your computer could be easily accessed from a car or a neighbor in your street and it could be downloading illegal material for which you could be fined or imprisoned depending on the content of the download.

Signed Carl Barron Chairman of agpcuk

By Carl_Barron on 10 Nov 2010

People in Glass Houses &c.

If @Carl_Barron is in any way responsible for http://dorsetvisualguide.co.uk/ which he claims as his home page, then he is sadly lacking in the sort of skills he accuses others of lacking. This website is a case study in web dreadfulness.

By milliganp on 10 Nov 2010

The question is relevant but its been answered upteen times

@redgar3, in order to provide map references from wireless access points it is necessary to acquire and store their MAC addresses together with geolocation data. This is done by capturing and analysing a packet of data sent from the access point. In the case of a secured access point (WEP or WPA)the content of the data packet would be encrypted, otherwise it would be in plain text. The purpose and use of the collection was only to get the MAC address but the packets of data were also stored.
Given the nature of the exercise, it's not surprising that everything would be stored for later off-line analysis.
This doesn't make it right but it's fairly obvious that Google did not go to any lengths to achieve anything other than their primary objective.

By milliganp on 10 Nov 2010