Google defends internet objectivity
Data Protection Agency claims search engine captures private information
Lawyers for Google told the Spanish High Court on Wednesday that if the internet giant were to eliminate or modify its content it would contribute to the world wide web's loss of objectivity.
Removing personal data, as plaintiffs in some 75 lawsuits had demanded, would also curtail on freedom of information, the lawyers argued.
Google is appealing before the High Court settlements awarded to plaintiffs by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), which opened a case last year after it learned that the search engine collected data about private Wi-Fi connections via its Street View cars, which are used to create online photographic maps. AEPD said Google was also capturing data from Spanish computer users, including email addresses.