Korean police raided Google’s offices in Seoul yesterday as they sought evidence for a probe into the possible unauthorized collection of data by Street View vehicles.
Investigators from the National Police Agency Cyber Terror Center confiscated computer hard disks and paper documents from the office, Korea Herald reported.
They are probing whether Google’s fleet of camera cars collected data from individual web users while scouring the country ahead of a planned launch of the Street View service, the Yonhap News Agency reports.
Collecting the data would breach South Korea’s communications and privacy laws, the domestic news agency said.
Google said in May that faulty software had resulted in similar data being collected in other countries.
“Google Korea has admitted their negligence over the case and made it clear that it was unintentional, so we are now seeking to verify their claim in further details,” a Korean Communications Commission spokesperson told the Herald.
Google it faces several probes in western Europe over the Street View’s data collection, while more than 30 US states are weighing legal action.
In Asia, Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner dismissed the issue after Google promised to delete all data collected. Singapore’s IDA said it is jointly investigating the matter with other agencies.
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