Already making moves to deflect mounting concerns over accusations of privacy violation by its innovative Street View mapping service, online search giant Google Inc. is now facing similar privacy pressures from the European Union ahead of Street View’s eventual shift from US shores.
EU could be next privacy stumbling block for Google\'s impressive but intrusive Street View. Image: thms.nl/Flickr.
Currently offering coverage of 40 cities in the United States, the Street View tool allows users to experience a 3D interactive and representative environment from street level, much as if they were actually there themselves.
By using the Street View control interface, users are able to look around and move through city streets, which include a multitude of captured moments caught by Google’s specially equipped Street View camera cars.
It is the capture of these spontaneous everyday moments, which include people sunbathing, exiting strip clubs, and even urinating in the street that has seen Google drawing accusations of privacy violation.
According to Peter Hustinx, one of the European Union’s leading data protection officials, Street View could certainly cause privacy issues when and if it ever launches in Europe.
“Making pictures on the street is in many cases not a problem, but making pictures everywhere is certainly going to create some problems,” commented Hustinx in an Associated Press report. “I’m quite sure they are aware of this,” he added while also advising Google to carefully consider how to properly expand its service.
And consideration would definitely appear to be Google’s current course of action where Street View is concerned, having this week begun the process of incorporating a facial blur algorithm into the mapping tool, which will seek out and distort captured faces where necessary.
“Complying with European data protection law is going to be part of their business success or failure,” said Hustinx. “If they would ignore it, it is likely to lead to (court) cases, and I think they would be hit hard.”
Google has said its intent with the application of facial blur is to avoid any potential privacy-based or cultural complaints as it prepares to extend Street View’s reach to other countries.
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