"No regulator in the United States has ever seen the information that Google’s cars gathered from American citizens."

The NYT presents Google in a sinister light for its failure to open itself up to the government that wants to regulate it.

The tale of how Google escaped a full accounting for Street View illustrates not only how technology companies have outstripped the regulators, but also their complicated relationship with their adoring customers....

People willingly, at times eagerly, surrender this information....

Although Google thrives on information, it is closemouthed about itself....

“We don’t have much choice but to trust Google,” said Christian Sandvig, a researcher in communications technology and public policy at the University of Illinois. “We rely on them for everything.”

That reliance has built an impressive company — and a self-assurance that can be indistinguishable from arrogance. “Google doesn’t seem to think it ever will be held accountable,” Mr. Sandvig said. “And to date it hasn’t been.”

Google rivals government. Government would like us to willingly, eagerly surrender information, to have no choice but to trust it, to be relied on for everything, to never be held accountable... and — with all that — to be adored.

How frustrating for the government!