( CNN ) -- Last week Germany levied a fine against Google for one of the biggest wiretapping violations in history . The fine ? Less than $ 200,000 . Google 's net profits in 2012 ? More than $ 10 billion . Imagine a driver of a fancy car caught for speeding and then asked to pay a nickel . Google got off easier . Over several years and in countries around the world , Google drove cars with cameras mounted on the roof through communities and residential neighborhoods . Google said that it was gathering images to improve its `` Street View '' mapping program . But Google was also secretly collecting information about Internet access points in private homes and intercepting personal communications across wi-fi networks . A privacy official in Germany had suspected that this was happening , but was repeatedly reassured by Google that it was n't . When the official actually removed the hard drive from a Google vehicle , the true story came out . Investigations were launched in more than a dozen countries . `` Street View '' became `` Spy-Fi . '' The Canadian privacy commissioner determined that the company had obtained medical records and financial records , private e-mails and passwords . In the United States , a group of attorneys general levied a $ 7 million fine against the company , after federal agencies in Washington failed to act . Google apologized , stopped collecting the wi-fi data ( but not the location data ) and promised to improve its privacy practices . Last week , the German official who triggered the original investigation announced the 145,000-euro fine , almost the largest amount allowed under European law , though insignificant for a company the size of Google . The public official was clearly unhappy about the outcome and told The New York Times , `` As long as violations of data protection law are penalized with such insignificant sums , the ability of existing laws to protect personal privacy in the digital world , with its high potential for abuse , is barely possible . '' As the public concern about privacy is increasing , the failure of public agencies to take forceful action is becoming a problem . In the United States , the Federal Trade Commission announced important settlements with Facebook and Google back in 2011 , but it has been reluctant to take any meaningful enforcement action since . Even after Google consolidated all of the data from across its 60 plus services last year into one data policy to `` rule them all , '' the FTC remained silent . The Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation of Street View but levied only a $ 25,000 fine , even less than the amount in Germany , and that was for Google 's obstruction during the investigation . Increasingly , Internet companies are advocating `` self-regulation '' and weak-willed politicians are telling users , `` check your privacy settings , be careful what you post . '' In other words , you are on your own . That is terrible advice coming from those who know that users can do little to protect their data . User data is gathered surreptitiously , few users have the ability or time to know how it is collected , and even good privacy policies change quickly . It was only Mr. Casper 's persistence that made it possible to challenge Google 's data collection practices . It would have been impossible for those whose wi-fi communications were intercepted to know that their data was gathered by Google , let alone enforce privacy rights against the company . That is why it is important for officials to pursue investigations , enforce laws and impose significant penalties when warranted . The failure to enforce privacy laws is bad not only for Internet users , but also for smaller companies and innovative firms that are developing services that comply with privacy law . The success of `` Privacy by Design , '' and other new approaches , depends on countries enforcing their laws . If they see their larger competitors get away with cutting corners , the message will be that they , too , can ignore the laws . This will lead to a vicious spiral that governments must avoid . In Europe , governments recognize the need to update and strengthen privacy laws . Efforts are under way to improve privacy protections . That will help consumers and Internet users all around the world as companies adopt better safeguards for personal data . In the United States , President Obama has called for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights and recommended the adoption of new privacy law . It is a good , forward-looking proposal that builds on existing law and addresses a key concern of Internet users today . Another proposal now in California would give Internet users the right to know the information private firms collect about them . It is a clever approach to privacy that does not restrict data collection ; it simply makes companies more accountable to users . But it is not easy to enact new laws , particularly when large companies have so much influence over the political process . Still , there are many public officials who must share the frustration of Mr. Casper . Privacy protection without enforcement is no protection at all . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Marc Rotenberg .
Marc Rotenberg : Germany levied small fine on Google for gathering people 's private information . It was less than $ 200,000 . Google made $ 10 billion in 2010 . Fine has no teeth , he says . Public agencies failing to strengthen controls on information that threaten privacy , he says . Rotenberg : Call the Privacy Bill of Rights a good step toward enforcement .