Marketing Pilgrim

Google’s facing more heat over the revelation it may have broken privacy laws when it “accidentally” snooped on public Wi-Fi networks.

I had two choices with this story. Rejected, by a very close margin, was this amazing little factoid:

Google said it accidentally gathered data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks…The practice has gone on at least since 2008.

OK, do the words “accidentally” and “2008″ really go together. Can you image BP getting away with “we’ve been accidentally pumping oil into the gulf for two years?” I think not.

However, I decided to go with the news that 30 attorney generals held a conference call to discuss whether they should take collective action. Now, I readily admit that I’m a cynic. My first thought was: attorney generals are only getting involved because this is Google and legal action against the search engine is high-profile enough to help their careers.

I was about to squash that little voice in my head, then I read this:

The call was led by Richard Blumenthal, the longtime attorney general in Connecticut…is now running for the U.S. Senate…

Oh purleeze!

Is there any politician left that will do the right thing, because it’s the right thing–and not because it will help with his career?