The Privacy Commissioner, Karen Curtis, has completed her investigation into Google’s Wi-Fi spying bungle and found the company breached the Privacy Act.

Photo.red – In this Aug. 7, 2009 file photo Google employee Arthur Poirier, on a camera-equipped tricycle, records images for Googles Street View Maps in Paris, Friday, Aug. 7, 2009. Google Inc. issued an apology Friday May 14, 2010, acknowledging it has been vacuuming up and recording fragments of peoples online activities broadcast over public Wi-Fi networks in many countries while expanding its street mapping feature. The German minister for consumer protection Ilse Aigner criticized Google on Saturday, May 15, saying the U.S. Internet giant still lacks an understanding of the need for privacy, calling it an “alarming incident” happening apparently illegally over some years.

Authorities all over the world are investigating Google, including the Australian privacy watchdog and Australian Federal Police, for sucking up 600GB of “payload data” from unsecured wireless networks over several years while taking pictures for its Street View mapping service. (more…)

Tags: Google, Privacy, street view, Wi-Fi