So Britain finally looks to take action after Australia and Europe began their investigations into Google.

The Met are investigating the Google street-cars after they captured private data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Google still maintain that the collection of said data was a mistake, caused by a piece of code for a different project.

It’s been reported that 30 countries have experienced this issue, with many deciding to investigate Google.
Google probably won’t feel too much of effect after this tumultuous event is resigned to the history books, though their money vault may not contain as many gold coins.

With a firm grip on SEO, and now with a view at taking on Facebook,  Google is a behemoth that will probably consider any punitive action as insignificant. I doubt if the general public even know that this is going on, or that it will make them consider not using Google as a search engine.

I find it hard to feel angry/annoyed/(relevant emotion) at Google, seeing as how Britain seems to has sleepwalked into a Big Brother state. CCTV, the nanny state, cameras in bins, Nectar cards, what Google did was pretty standard…wasn’t it?

I expect worse mistakes from the government and when was the last time they received any punishment for their ineptitude?

When you’re the biggest people tend to go after you.

Man U were the best team throughout the 90’s but everyone loved to have a dig at them, Schumacher for Ferrari, Woods, Leicester Tigers…I’m sure I could think of more sporting references but I’ll stop there.

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the Australian government complaining about Google’s Street-View cars obtaining data about people’s wireless connections.

Now a Spanish organization, the Association for the Prevention and Investigation of Crime, Abuse and Malpractice in Information Technology and Advanced Communications (Apedanica), is taking Google to court over the same issue.

Intercepting telecommunications carries between one and four years prison time in Spain and Miguel Angel Gallardo, the Apedanica president, obviously believes this wasn’t a simple mistake, he said “something which was carefully programmed and has been done in 30 countries can’t be an error”.

Over the last month, the street cars have been banned in Austria and Greece, while the Italians are investigating the cars.

If Google was a smaller company would the countries be as angry?

Does Google’s size stop it from making “genuine” mistakes?

If Google’s power is curtailed will this have any effect on SEO?  Well, people seem to be talking up Bing at the moment but market share wise it’s so far off Google.

Google would probably need to be the cause of a massive oil spill, tsunami and small pox outbreak before Bing overtook its share of the market.

Google is trying to make itself a company that the World needs, that every business needs to be listed and every search needs to go through, but when does anyone ever want the successful, powerful and massive team to win? (I’ve asked too many rhetorical questions, haven’t I? Sorry).

I doubt if anyone from Google Spain will go to prison, maybe they’ll have to pay a fine, it’s just your typical little guy trying to ruin the Man.