Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today named some of the states that have joined his investigation into Google”s Street View production.
However, his office has yet to provide any evidence that any of those states had actually asked him to head the probe 30 days ago when he announced his multi-state investigation.
I have been requesting that information for 30 days and had filed at least two FOI requests. Neither of those FOI requests have been honored.
I was skeptical of his claim of being asked to head a multi-state investigation when his press release did not include the identities of any other state and because he had been caught lying for many years about having served in Vietnam when he actually did all he could to stay out of combat.
The following is his press release from today:
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today on behalf of the executive committee of a 37-state coalition asked Google whether it tested its Street View software before use — which should have revealed that the program collected data transmitted over wireless computer networks.
Google has acknowledged unauthorized collection of data — possibly including emails, passwords, web browsing and other confidential information — but called it a mistake.
In a letter to Google, Blumenthal seeks other information, including whether the company sold or otherwise used technical network information also collected.
“If Google tested this software, it should have known all along that Street View cars would snare and collect confidential data from homes across America,” Blumenthal said. “Now the question is how it may have used — and secured — all this private information.
“Google’s responses continue to generate more questions than they answer. Our powerful multistate coalition — 37 states so far — is demanding that Google reveal whether it tested Street View software, which should have revealed that it was collecting payload data.
“We are asking Google to identify specific individuals responsible for the snooping code and how Google was unaware that this code allowed the Street View cars to collect data transmitted over WiFi networks. Information we are awaiting includes how the spy software was included in Google’s Street View program and specific locations where unauthorized data collection occurred.
“We will take all appropriate steps — including potential legal action if warranted — to obtain complete, comprehensive answers.”
Blumenthal sent the letter as part of the multistate investigation he is leading into Google’s unauthorized collection of data transmitted over wireless networks.
Blumenthal said that that 37 states and the District of Columbia have formally joined the multistate investigation so far. The executive committee led by Connecticut includes Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri and Texas.
“Our partnership — 37 states and counting — will vigorously and aggressively investigate Google’s Street View cars’ unauthorized collection of data transmitted over wireless networks,” Blumenthal said. “Google must come completely clean, fully explaining how this invasion of personal privacy happened and why.
“Consumers have a right to expect that data transmitted over personal and business wireless networks remains confidential. Our multistate investigation will determine whether laws were broken and whether legislation is necessary to prevent future privacy breaches.”
Other states that have signed onto Blumenthal’s multistate include New York, Mississippi, Vermont, Nebraska, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Kansas, Montana and Rhode Island.
Eight states have declined to be publicly identified because their laws or procedures prohibit disclosure of investigations. Blumenthal’s office is seeking permission to publicize the remaining states and soliciting additional states to join the investigation.
At 5:30 p.m. Blumenthal’s office finally answered my question – which I have been raising for 30 days about which states had joined the investigation as of June 21. As you can read, there is no explanation on why it took numerous requests over more than four weeks, and two FOI requests to get the answer:
“As of June 21, five states had committed by email to participate in our multistate investigation of Google Street View,” Policy and Communications Advisor Christopher Hoffman said. “They included Vermont, Michigan and Illinois. We are prohibited from identifying the remaining states because their laws limit disclosure of ongoing investigations.
“By that date, Florida and Massachusetts had informed us verbally they would join our multistate investigation.
“More than 30 states, including those that had already committed verbally or by email to participate, took part in a previous conference call to discuss joining our multistate investigation.
“The formal process of creating the multistate investigation was completed recently, allowing us to announce today that 37 states and the District of
Columbia will participate. Additional states are still considering whether to join the investigation.”
Today – Thursday – I finally received an answer to my June 21 FOI request.
One of the interesting parts of the answer is that it appears that other state had already been investigating Google prior to Connecticut. That raises the question of whether Blumenthal asked – so he could made political hay for his senate campaign – to head the multi-state investigation, or was he chosen by the other Attorneys General.
I put the question to his PR people today and will let you know the answer as soon as I get it.
Here the response to my FOI request:
George P. Gombossy Editor & Publisher Connecticut Watchdog LLC
Post Office Box 23
East Longmeadow, MA 01028-0023
RE: FOIA Request
Office of the Attorney General
Dear Mr. Gombossy:
This letter is to supplement our response to your Freedom of Information request, dated June 21, 2010.
Please find attached three e-mails responsive to your request. One of those e-mails has been redacted in part because a portion of the record pertains to strategy and negotiations with respect to a pending claim or litigation pursuant to Conn. Stat. § 1-210(b) (4). We have two other pages responsive to your request that are exempt from disclosure. Those pages, which identify two other states participating in the Google Street View multi-state investigation, are exempt from disclosure because those states have objected to their release pursuant to state laws that preclude them from publicly disclosing their investigation of a target or a confidential communication. Because we have
a common interest agreement with any state that has formally joined our working group investigating the Google Street View program, any privileges they have are preserved and we are required to assert their privileges.
Our office also conducted a multistate conference call on June 10, 2010 where other states indicated to us that they also were investigating Google and were interested in participating in a multistate investigation. States also contacted the National Association of Attorneys General directly after the call to express their interest in participating. So far, 37 States plus the District of Columbia have joined the investigation.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have additional questions or concerns.
Very truly yours,
Anthon Jannotta Special Counsel
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I knew this post would be coming before long. Typical anti RB slant from the author. You finally got what you asked for and still have to find a way to whine and complain. The simple fact is he confirmed what he said he would do. That doesn’t appear to be enough on this site. George wants his pound of flesh, and until he gets it, he’ll keep banging away on the drum, all by himself.