The e-mails were written by then-CEO Larry Page following to replace Google's location service system within its phones with that of a competitor, . According to the e-mails , Page wasn't too happy about Motorola's decision.

"Can I get an answer on this?" he demanded of his executive team. The e-mails were obtained as part of court documents surrounding .

Several executives, including Android head Andy Rubin, quickly answered, stressing that tracking location data is indeed important to Google. They also said it was even more so following public outcry over its via its Street View cars.

Both Google and Skyhook use Wi-Fi hotspot data to triangulate a position of the smartphone. Algorithms measure distance from Wi-Fi hotspots in the database to determine location, which is necessary due to the often inaccurate nature of readings solely from cell phone towers, and more accurate.