The Federal Government has asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate media giant Google over alleged privacy breaches.
Google says it mistakenly collected the data and has apologised.
The ABC reports Attorney General Robert McClelland says his department has received numerous complaints and he has asked the Federal Police to investigate possible criminal breaches.
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"Obviously I won't pre-empt the outcome of that investigation but they relate in substantial part to possible breaches of the Telecommunications Interception Act, which prevents people accessing electronic information other than for authorised purposes," Mr McClelland said.
This announcment follows Google handing over data to European authorities that it collected through wireless networks to French, German and Spanish authorities.
Canada recently launched a probe into Google amid privacy concerns related to the search giant's Street View service, which uses camera-equipped fleets of cars to take panoramic pictures for its online atlas.
Google has disclosed it collected private data while taking photographs for this product.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has already begun an informal inquiry into the matter. Google has said it would cooperate with authorities.
It had previously denied any wrongdoing in sending fleets of cars around the world to take pictures. Google first revealed that cars were also collecting wireless data in April, but said no personal information from Wi-Fi networks was involved.
But after an audit requested by Germany, Google acknowledged in May it mistakenly had collected samples of "payload data."
Suits have been filed in Washington D.C., California, Massachusetts and Oregon by people who accuse Google of violating their privacy by collecting data from open Wi-Fi networks.
