Google has Controversial Secret Relationship with the NSA

What can you say about Google? It's easy to access, easy to use, and offers great services on the surface. Then again, there has been controversy that Google scans your g-mail accounts for keywords in your e-mails to shape advertising delivered to you. Knowing they have this capability should alarm you now that a controversial relationship has been exposed between Google and the federal government.



It's been long known Google has a close relationship with Barack Obama. Now it appears Google may be crossing a fine line, possibly reporting your Internet activity to the federal government. Surely you aren't surprised?

Consumer Watchdog has sent a letter to Congressman Darrell Issa wanting answers why Google is working so closely with federal organizations like the National Security Administration. Here is that letter:


Rep. Darrell Issa
Chairman
House Oversight & Government Reform Committee
2347 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC
20515

Dear Congressman Issa:

We are writing to ask that the Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigate the
relationship between Google Inc. and the executive branch of government.  Consumer Watchdog
has conducted a six-month investigation resulting in the attached report, Lost in the Cloud:
Google and the US Government. The report reveals several areas where we believe Google has
inappropriately benefited from close ties to the Administration. Several executive agencies have
responded in a severely guarded and limited fashion to Freedom of Information Act requests on
significant issues involving Google that the public deserves to know more about.

In addition, there has been insufficient federal action on Google’s “Wi-Spy” debacle in which its
Street View cars gathered private data from Wi-Fi networks in more than 30 countries.
This is the largest wire tapping scandal in world history by one of America’s biggest and most
powerful corporations, yet there has not been a single hearing on Capitol Hill.  We respectfully
submit that Google CEO Eric Schmidt should be asked to testify under oath so that the American
public learns the truth about Wi-Spy.

An investigation by the committee of Google’s relationship to the Administration is particularly
timely now in light of the way the Federal Trade Commission closed its probe of the Wi-Spy
incident, and the Department of Justice’s current review of the pending acquisition of ITA
Software.  

Our report, drawn from records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and
interviews, found that Google’s ambitious quest for influence with the government is starting to
pay off.  Here are some examples:

 There is a cozy relationship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that
gives Google unique access to Moffett Field near Google’s headquarters, where a fleet of
jets and helicopters stands ready to serve Google executives. The benefits of the
arrangement to date appear to be nothing more than allowing Google executives a launch
pad for corporate junkets documented in the report. Others, including a non-profit
humanitarian group, have sought, but been denied, use of the airfield.

 Google’s close ties with the Obama White House have raised concerns about possible
special treatment or conflicts of interest at the Department of Homeland Security, the US
Patent & Trademark Office, the Federal Communications Commission and NASA.

 Officials at both DHS and the FCC have raised pointed concerns about weak privacy
protections in Google products and whether Google’s well-documented difficulties with
privacy protection could create big problems for federal agencies that use its services.

 A secretive relationship with the National Security Agency. The search giant has a
legitimate need to cooperate with the government’s mammoth and secretive code
breaking agency in its efforts to defend the integrity of U.S. computer networks. But 
NSA also has legal power to force Google to hand over the private information of its 
users. How Google executives handle this potentially conflicted relationship is largely
unknown: neither Google nor the NSA are talking.

Google is most consumers’ gateway to the Internet.  Many of the company’s services are
tremendously popular.  Nonetheless, it should not get special treatment and access because of a
special relationship with the Administration.

Our report only reveals only part of the picture. The House Oversight & Government Reform
Committee has subpoena power if necessary.  We urge you to use all the tools at the committee’s
disposal to reveal the extent of Google’s influence on the government and how the Internet giant
has unfairly benefited.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
  
Jamie Court John M. Simpson
President Director, Inside Google Project
CC:  Frederick Hill, Communications Director
Attachment: Lost in the Cloud: Google and the US Government