Google responds to Google Maps Street View privacy concerns in Europe
By Dave Parrack
Google Maps is an ingenious feature which many of us use on a regular basis, and which has added another layer of usability to Google’s range of services. But then there is Google Maps Street View, the effort to give us all a street level view of the world, as if we were there ourselves. This is a slightly more controversial feature, and one that has got people worrying about their privacy.
In the US, we have had a Boring couple from Pittsburgh up in arms after their private garden was photographed, complete with swimming pool. Then we had a whole town in Minnesota banning Google from coming anywhere near them with their camera car and desire to photograph everyone’s homes.
Last week saw Google Maps Street View come to Europe, with towns in France and Italy being the first locations to have their features photographed and published on the Web. Google hit a problem when it got to the UK though, with a rights organisation called Privacy International claiming that Google was breaking UK laws by publishing pictures of people without their prior consent. The organisation wrote to Google asking for details on certain aspects of Street View.
Now, according to BBC News, Google has responded, and unsurprisingly defended itself against the claims of privacy intrusion. Google states its continuing commitment to respect people’s privacy, and claims that the face blurring technology manages to accomplish that goal.
The face blurring technology is apparently being added to all new releases of Street View, as well as retrospectively to US cities added before the technology was designed and full in use. The technology is also being expanded to blur out license plate numbers, again ensuring that no-one’s privacy is intruded upon.
It’s good to hear that Google is trying to ensure privacy laws are being respected rather than just stamping all over them as it sees fit. However, with Google Maps Street View liable to improve in both resolution and scale, and competitors also likely to launch in the future, these issues are still ongoing, and important to many people who value their privacy above all else.
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July 7th, 2008
Some interesting privacy invasions appearing from France:
http://streetviewgallery.corank.com
August 20th, 2008
With the lawsuits over privacy going on, I don’t understand why trespassing charges are not being filed against Google and/or the street maps drivers.
Part of the problem here is the ideology. The thinking is a combination of “if I can therefore both it is right to do AND I must do” with the arrogant, spoiled brat approach of “What I want to do matters more than other people matter.”