It seems that some residents have been requesting to Google that images of their residences and nearby locations be removed from the company’s Street View service.
In a privacy issue much like the one raised by Google Earth (which used satellite photos of our planet), some folks feel that the sanctity and more importantly, privacy of their houses have been compromised. While there is no law that actually prevents anyone from taking a digital image of a private house, there are sanctions that would prevent such an image from being posted publicly online.
Panoramic views of streets in the UK can prove to be a major problem particularly for people who are worried with security. Since criminals need visual references to locations they intend to trespass, Google would be providing these people with all the necessary information that they would need without having them risking being seen in the location prior to an illegal act.
Google has stated that it considers privacy important and will remove images and other details upon request by involved parties.
For other people however, the walkthrough maps are a great blessing. Business owners and other businessmen are able to check out locations and promote nearby locations easier. Showing potential customers what a certain location looks like becomes a matter of sending a URL.
Right now, the presence of Google’s camera car (and their three wheeled mini cam-cab) is delivering a mix of reactions from people. Google has said that there are people who request that certain images be taken down while there are those who request that their street be added into the service.
With resident’s priorities and opinions regarding the matter are still mixed, we can expect the creation of Street View support in the UK to proceed as planned.
Get to know more about Google Street View at the Telegraph UK.
Tags: Google-Street-View