Google is facing scrutiny for reportedly collecting data about the location of smartphone users without their knowledge.
Regulators in South Korea summoned Google (GOOGL, Tech30) representatives this week to question them about a report that claimed the company was collecting data from Android devices even when location services were disabled.
U.K. data protection officials are also looking into the matter.
"Organizations are required by law to be transparent with consumers about what they are doing with personal information," said a spokesperson for the Information Commissioner's Office. "We are aware of the reports about the tracking system and are in contact with Google."
The probes follow a report by Quartz which found Android phones have been collecting addresses of nearby cellular towers. Those addresses were included in information, such as Cell ID codes, sent to Google for nearly a year.
If Google collected Cell IDs without consent, the company may have violated South Korea's Location Data Protection Act, whether the data was stored on Google's U.S. servers or not, said Hwang Sun-chul, an official with KCC's commission's privacy infringement division.
An official investigation has not yet been launched, and more information will likely need to come from Google's U.S. headquarters, Hwang said.
Android phones dominate the global market. In South Korea, smartphones using Google's Android operating system, including Samsung (SSNLF) and LG (LPL) devices, account for more than 80% of the market, according to research firm IDC.