Reps. Frank Pallone of New Jersey and John Barrow of Georgia, both Democrats, wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday urging him to consider re-opening the Justice Department's investigation of the Google "Wi-Spy" incident. The search giant has admitted its Street View cars downloaded payload data from unsecured WiFi networks while taking pictures for the Street View portion of its Google Maps services. Google claims the data collection was a mistake and the work of one rogue engineer, who took the Fifth Amendment when the Federal Communications Commission attempted to interview him for its investigation. The FCC eventually found that Google's actions didn't violate the law because the WiFi networks weren't secure, but fined the company $25,000 for impeding its investigation. However, the pair of lawmakers cite the FCC's report that suggests the engineer, who has been named by at least one publication, was part of a team and informed at least one superior of what he was working on.
DOJ investigated the incident soon after the data collection was revealed in 2010, but declined to pursue wiretapping charges against Google. The two lawmakers urged Holder to consider re-opening that investigation in light of recent revelations. Google is already facing intense scrutiny on privacy issues thanks to the company's new privacy policy, which lays out how its various products share information. The search giant is also currently in the midst of an antitrust probe by the Federal Trade Commission of its core search business. Those and other political concerns have prompted Google to dramatically boost its spending on lobbying in the past year. But the perception that the search giant has been less than forthright with investigators could undo much of that work. Every new privacy incident is further ammunition for critics, who contend Google acts as if it is above reproach, particularly with regards to data from consumers or other websites.
Reps Quiz Twitter on Data Collection: Twitter's recent public endorsement of Do Not Track technology for Web browsers drew praise from lawmakers, but that hasn't stopped them from requesting more information on how the microblogging service collects data from users. Republican Reps. Joe Barton of Texas and Cliff Stearns of Florida wrote (PDF) to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo on Thursday, asking for details on the company's new tailored recommendations of users to follow. The list of questions enclosed asks what information Twitter collects from users, how it uses that data and what algorithms determine which accounts appear on a user's "who to follow" list. They also ask whether Twitter will offer users a way to opt out of the tailored recommendations and for the company's policies on deleting user data after a request has been made. The lawmakers request responses no later than June 15. Twitter's rapid rise to mainstream prominence has made it a vital part of the real-time dialogue on the Web, but is also likely to draw increasing scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators as more Americans rely on it as a source of information and form of communication. Web Becomes Key Battleground in War on Terror: CQ's Jennifer Scholtes reports the leadership of the Senate Homeland Security Committee is praising the State Department's efforts at countering online propaganda by al Qaeda. At a hearing on Thursday, the lawmakers pointed to a recent incident where a State Department team posted ads on a site where al Qaeda members in Yemen were bragging about slaughtering Americans, and noted terrorists are increasingly using the Web to recruit supporters. Chairman Joe Lieberman noted the recent death of Anwar al Awlaki, known as the "YouTube preacher" has limited the efficacy of al Qaeda's online outreach. Lieberman also has been in contact with YouTube to ensure the site will remove any extremist posts that contain violent depictions. Privacy groups likely will be concerned about any government messaging campaign that also limits what information can be posted online, but political blowback generally has been mitigated when al Qaeda's name is invoked. SpaceX Dragon Capsule Docks at ISS Today: SpaceX is set to become the first commercial space company to dock at the International Space Station on Friday morning, shortly after you've received this email. The launch is a milestone for NASA, which under the Obama administration has focused on boosting the commercial space industry after retiring the shuttle program earlier this year. The Economist's Babbage blog notes that SpaceX and founder Elon Musk have received most of the attention, but they are hardly the only private company looking to conquer the cosmos. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin recently developed its first flying vehicle and is working on both a suborbital and two-stage orbital spacecraft. Blue Origin has much catching up to do, partly because it has only received $25 million in funding from NASA, compared to $400 million for SpaceX. Facing budgetary pressures and the prospect of a 40 percent cut in its commercial space funding, NASA has been urged by lawmakers to focus on just one or two space firms that can be nurtured. SpaceX is clearly in the pole position, but if Blue Origin and others want to join them, they will have to move a lot more quickly.