Money Quote:
The facts of the issue at hand are quite simply as follows:
Google intercepted and retained vast amounts of private communications data, which is an unlawful act. We believe Google intended to carry out this activity which makes it a criminal act. As such we (and many other people around the world) feel that Google needs to be held to the same standards as individual members of the public and held to account for these actions using the remedies afforded under the law.
If you or I were to wander around London recording the contents of communications from politicians, retailers and the general public, it is fair to assume we would be arrested and prosecuted in short order. Why then, should a global corporation not be treated in the same way?
Google is not above the law, irrespective of how many lobbyists it employs or how much wealth it holds. In all likelihood Google can absorb any financial penalties issued as a result of these prosecutions with very little impact on its wealth. But if we allow Google to simply do as it wishes without the concern of being held to account for its actions we are sending a dangerous message to the industry that it is above the law. By prosecuting Google, we can hopefully bring about changes, not just within Google to ensure this never happens again, but also across the industry as a whole.
#Big Brother
