Google is at risk of facing criminal charges in as many as 30 countries following the release of an analysis of its Wi-Fi sniffing code by a computer forensic firm which claims to have discovered "criminal intent" in the way the computer code was written and the data was collected and stored.

Google's lawyers yesterday released a report they had commissioned from computer forensics firm Stroz Friedberg, analyzing the code used in the Wi-Fi snooping exercise, in which camera cars taking photographs for its Street View service also captured data from Wi-Fi transmissions.

Google is under investigation by the Australian Federal Police for possible breaches of the federal Telecommunications Interceptions Act. It also faces investigations in a number of European jurisdictions, including Germany, Spain and Italy, as well as some U.S. states.

Source: SMARTHOUSE