|

by Ria

in internet, mobile, debate 3 Apr 2009

Since coming to the UK, Google Street View has been causing a stir.

Controversy has followed the unique mapping tool, which gives panoramic photographic views of streets in cities across the country.

Some have leapt to defend an arguably useful tool that captures some weird and wonderful images to entertain us all.

Others question Google's interpretation of the privacy laws, following on from reports that some people have requested that their image is removed from the site.

Have you spotted yourself on Google Street View? Perhaps you think Google have overstepped the mark? Or have you had fun using Street View and intend to keep on doing so?

Like this? Then hit Share below.

comments (10)

Great for seeing how to find my way along a street - great for casing a joint/finding where decent cars are parked on drives/houses with no burgler alarms/trees and undergrowth locations for muggings - how good of Google to give me these tools!!

09 April, 2009 11:43

Big John says:
virtual pub crawl fun via streetview @ www.barcrawl.co.uk

09 April, 2009 12:06

nicster says:
I have had a look at an area in Leeds, the street view has for me proved very useful as it has helped me pursue a claim against a disputed parking claim. This was most helpful as i live 150 miles away.y

09 April, 2009 12:13

victor says:
It's great and I think people will eventually come around to the idea. For me, seeing where I need to go at street level is so useful in places like Paris.. I'm quite visual so I tend to remember what a place looks like more than where it is in relation to another place. Well done to Google for pulling it off!

09 April, 2009 13:18

Emilie Smith says:
I see my more negative comments have not been published yet! Are you vetting these??

09 April, 2009 14:31

Big John says:
Hey John... we're working through the comments! We do publish everything.

Your first comment may be a little provocative but it does echo the press speculation that Street View would facilitate more burglaries, cars being pinched, peering into people's windows... it's a subject worthy of some hot debating.

09 April, 2009 14:37

Ria@The Feed says:
Many members of the public seem to see this as an invasion of privacy. What they seem to fail to realise is it's no different to walking down the street in person and observing the things around you. I think most of the negative comments are a result of paranoia and a general mistrust or misunderstanding of technology.

Personally I see it as a great tool for finding your way around unknown areas. I think the face recognition technology built in to blur members of the public is well implemented and provides adequate protection.

09 April, 2009 14:50

Paul says:
As a free democratic nation we are the most survailed country in europe, who voted for all these cameras, who granted this company the right to publish where we live? apparently it's not illegal to drive around with an 11ft camera mast on top of your car, but you try taking pictures of the houses of parliment and you'll soon get moved on by the police, as it's demeed to sensative or maybe used by terrorists, well they don't need to bother now as they can get all the detail they want by logging in to google earth.

09 April, 2009 20:37

Slip Disc says:
Some great comments on here. Lots of strong feelings and thought provoking points to mull over, so thanks all for your input.

14 April, 2009 09:41

Ria@The Feed says:
The big question seems to be: "is this an invasion of privacy". Personally, I don't believe it is, nothing is published that otherwise isn't available. Also you as a "Data Subject" which is the Data Protection Act term for a living individual, have the right to have your image removed. However, your image is captured dozens of times every day on CCTV images in shops and on the street. The significant difference here is that StreetView publish your image.

Similarly, comment has been made about the cameras pointing into your rooms on your property. If you feel the published image is too intrusive, I would imagine that you would, under the Human Rights Act - Right to a private life - have a right to have that image removed as it impinges on your private life.

There are other websites, such as upmystreet, where you can find out what areas are like, what the crime statistics are etc. and, to be perfectly frank, I really can't see a potential burglar using the images off streetview to "case a joint" as Big John put it. They'd be pretty stupid to do so. Likewise, I've yet to hear of a case where a mugger has gone out of their way to commit their crime. Muggers tend to stay in areas they already know so they can execute a quick getaway. The exception being the opportunist mugger whereby the subject of StreetView becomes irrelevant.

The reality of it is, there are many sources of information on areas - join a facebook group, look on other websites, look at local charitable organisation websites, the often have images of the local area which, potentially, could be used for nefarious purposes.

StreetView doesn't really do anything for me personally, but I think alot of the 'paranoia' has been generated by the press in order to gain a cheap headline. The media often target big corporations accusing them of Big Brother tactics because it's so easy to make the accusation without bssing it on any kind of fact. Put yourself in Google's shoes, how would you defend against the accusations that are without any kind of history to support them? If you really want to rail against anything, there are bigger things such as the multitude of databases the Government hold containing your personal data, the increasing restriction on civil liberties and the increasing prevalence to assume guilt before innocence.

So in closing, it's another use of an already available technology that, to be frank is taking an unsubstantiated bashing because it's an easy and cheap shot and the bigger problems are too difficult to tackle.

Regards All

Terry

10 April, 2009 10:20

Terry says: