Google fires back at FCC on Wi-Fi investigation

Now that Google has emerged unscathed from its U.S. antitrust probe, the search company has free reign to transform its search engine with less fear of legal action from regulators.

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Posted: 04/26/2012

By: Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is firing back at the Federal Communications Commission on an investigation that led to a $25,000 fine against the Internet search leader.

In a letter sent Thursday, Google Inc. disputed the reason for the fine. The FCC contends Google impeded an agency investigation into whether the company had violated U.S. laws by collecting personal information transmitted over unsecured Wi-Fi networks while photographing neighborhoods from 2007 to 2010 for the Street View feature on its mapping service.

Google blames the FCC for dragging out an investigation that lasted 17 months. In its letter, Google said it regularly responded to the FCC's requests, but sometimes didn't hear back from the agency for seven to 12 weeks.

Despite its misgivings, Google says it decided to pay the fine to close the case.