Google investigated over allegations Street View car stole data

State attorneys general from across the nation are investigating Google and its Street View mapping service after an admission from the search engine giant that it collected consumers' personal information over unsecured Wi-Fi networks in the U.S. and more than 30 countries while taking map photos.

Google has stopped collecting the Wi-Fi data and has been turning over the information to authorities in the affected countries during the last two weeks. Investigations into the data grab are ongoing in Germany, France, Ireland and Australia.

Google Street View allows users to see actual photos of map places. The company has been using vehicles to gather photos and data. Besides grabbing photos, it also collected "payload data" -- including emails and internet activity -- from unsecured networks.