Google hits back at Conroy

Google has hit back at Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's criticism of its
record on privacy, questioning his commitment to plans to censor the internet.
The communications minister also came under fire more broadly on Tuesday after
accusing the internet giant of being responsible for the "single greatest breach in
the history of privacy".
The attack on Google and its chief executive during a Senate hearing on Monday night
comes after the company criticised the government's plans to introduce a mandatory
internet filter.
But the company responded to the latest round in the debate by questioning Senator
Conroy's own commitment to the filter policy.
"We were surprised to hear more discussion about Google and Facebook than about the
actual proposed filter," a spokeswoman said in a statement.
Google has been an ardent critic of the filter plan, saying that while protecting
the free exchange of ideas and information could not be without some limits, people
should retain the right to freedom of expression.
Senator Conroy's comments on Monday night referred to revelations Google collected
private information about people's wireless internet connections as it took pictures
for its global Street View mapping service.
Various privacy regulators have accused the company of unlawful action in
intercepting the data.
"They consider that they are the appropriate people to make the decisions about
people's privacy data, and that they are perfectly entitled to drive the streets and
collect as much private information by photographing over fences and collecting data
information," Senator Conroy said.
"This is probably the single greatest breach in the history of privacy."
Senator Conroy also launched a personal attack on the company's chief executive,
Eric Schmidt.
"I think that the approach taken by Schmidt is a bit creepy, frankly," he said.
Greens communications spokesman Scott Ludlam said Senator Conroy's attack was
clearly related to the company's opposition to the government's internet filtering
plan.
"The minister has an unfortunate habit of shooting the messenger," Senator Ludlam said.
"Whether it be online civil liberties groups or one of the world's largest tech
companies, you criticise mandatory internet censorship at your peril," he said.
Other major internet service providers, including Yahoo, have also criticised the
filter plan, describing it as heavy-handed, as has US ambassador to Australia Jeff
Bleich.
Echoing a view expressed by the US State Department, Mr Bleich said there were other
ways of policing illegal content that would not impinge on freedom.
"The internet needs to be free," Mr Bleich said in April.
"We have been able to accomplish the goals that Australia has described, which is to
capture and prosecute child pornographers... without having to use internet
filters."