Google Hired UK Ex-data Official

Google UK's privacy process executive hold a comparison purpose at the UK's information privacy watchdog during the time of its initial investigate in to Street View.

A liberty of information solicit suggested that Stephen McCartney left the Information Commissioner's Office to come together Google in November 2011.

The ICO had been criticised for its initial scrutiny - that has given reopened - in to information privacy breaches.

The ICO mentioned Mr McCartney "played no part" in the investigations.

In its own statement, Google said: "We do not criticism on particular employees."

Rob Halfon, Tory MP for Harlow, told the Guardian that the headlines was a "shocking revelation".

"Now it seems they [the ICO] have had a cosy attribute with the firm they have been investigating," he told the journal .

Mr McCartney was head of information insurance promotion at the ICO where he had worked, according to his LinkedIn form , given 2004.

During this time, the ICO conducted an scrutiny in to allegations that Google had intentionally collected personal information whilst pciking up photographs as segment of its Street View mapping project.

The ICO ruled that there had been a "significant breach" of the Data Protection Act, but opted not to excellent the company, a preference heavily criticised by promotion organisation Privacy International and others.

Of the 2010 investigation, emissary information government official David Smith told the BBC: "We outlayed reduction time probing than others did. If you had searched for days and days you would have found more."

It after that emerged that a few Google staff had been told that information was being collected, call the ICO to free its inquiries.

After fasten Google, Mr McCartney common email association with ICO officials deliberating problems relating to the continuing probe.

The documents, performed by activist Peter John, showed Mr McCartney had summarized what he had mentioned were "significant errors" in the media's stating of the situation in an email antiquated 4 May 2012.

Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, responded to the email with "thanks for this, Stephen".

In a matter expelled today, the ICO said: "The published association between Google and the ICO evidently shows that Stephen McCartney was treated with colour similar to any other organisation's representative, with his emails reception nothing more than a honest acknowledgement.

The orator added: "ICO employees go on to be legally bound by a confidentiality consent after they leave the organisation, as segment of the Data Protection Act.

"Stephen Eckersley, the ICO's Head of Enforcement, continues to investigate Google's activities with courtesy to the Street View project."

Mr Eckersley is now deliberation a reply to Google's many new e-mail on the matter that was received by the ICO final month.