Pol targets Google on data collection

Map quest-ions.

A New York City council member yesterday wrote a letter to Google to see if the search giant improperly collected personal data on New Yorkers — such as their e-mail and Web browsing history — while trolling the city streets for its Google Maps business.

The letter sent by Councilman Dan Garodnick to CEO Eric Schmidt follows reports that Google has been improperly collecting private wireless data while snapping street shots in Germany and in Portland, Ore., as part of its mapping service.

Garodnick asked Schmidt for “a full public accounting” of what information, if any, Google has collected in New York.

The inquiry comes as the fallout from Google’s data gathering continues to grow.

Canada’s privacy commission yesterday became the latest regulatory body to launch an investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission is setting up a Congressional briefing on the matter, a House aide told The Post.

Last month, the company announced it would stop collecting WiFi data during its mapping sessions.