In the letter to Google the congressmen asked whether consumers were warned that their data might be collected. Google said that they weren't and that is within the law because the networks were broadcasting and were unsecured in any case.

That said, the company acknowledged that many people might not see it that way. "We emphasize that being lawful and being the right thing to do are two different things, and that
collecting payload data was a mistake for which we are profoundly sorry," the letter said.

Google may be asked to give a full accounting before Congress. "Google now confesses it has been collecting people's information for years, yet claims they still do not know exactly what they collected and who was vulnerable," Barton said in a statement. "I think this matter warrants a hearing, at minimum."

Google may also face criminal charges and an investigation from the Federal Trade Commission. The attorneys general of Missouri and Connecticut have both floated the idea that Google broke state wiretapping laws.