Google Responds to New British Investigation of Street View

What did Google know about the data-scooping its Google Street View cars did, and when did Google know it? That seems to be at the heart of a newly reopened investigation by British data authorities, their third try at getting to the bottom of this controversial episode.

The Information Commissioner’s Office also seems to suspect Google of not being quite forthright with its officials earlier, which might explain the more aggressive stance this time around. Google has now responded to the ICO’s questions via a letter from its chief privacy counsel. Google says it is “surprised” to find itself confronting another investigation and offers one of its most sustained defenses yet. But there doesn’t seem to be much common ground yet even over the basic chronology. Google implies it blew the whistle on itself.