Connecticut to Lead Multistate Probe of Google

As many as 30 U.S. states are considering joining forces to look into how Google's Street View vehicles came to collect Internet users' personal data from unsecured wireless networks.

The joint investigation, led by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, will seek additional information from Google and determine whether laws may have been broken when the company mistakenly collected information on people's Web usage. He said a "core group" of state attorneys general had agreed to combine their resources and expertise to look into the matter. He said more than 30 states had expressed interest in the matter, and he expected a "significant group" of states will ultimately join the investigation. He declined to be more specific.