Angry Luddites attack Google Street View car

12. So in an attempt to protect his privacy, Paul Jacobs has attracted a large amount of media attention to himself and his fellow villagers.

Better still, he informs us how rich they all are. Burglars will be making a bee-line for Broughton.

If he was that frightened, why didn't he wait until the car had finished and then demand the results were removed from Street View?

11. The Daily Mail would already see the crowbar as some sort of phallic pornographic symbol, dont get them started.

10. Google are helping robbers already. Using Google shopping they can find suppliers of cheap crowbars!

Quick someone contact the Daily Mail.

9. Yes, its great for checking out specific "public" destinations. But private property is exactly that, Private. And saying it offers burglars no advantage is delusional. watcherzero is correct on every point. The first time a criminal is asked in court "why did you pick this window?" or "why did you choose that escape route?" and the answer comes back "Google", what do you think is going to happen next?.

8. I guess I can understand both viewpoints but lean more towards supporting Google's efforts in creating the Street View. I just want to compliment techradar on their amusing coverage of this story (the picture that accompanies the story is hilarious). I needed a good laugh this morning.

7. In the US it took a while after the pictures had been taken to create an uproar. At this point it is effectively useless except for giving a very general idea of what the area looks like, which was the response to the uproar, even though the people that were offended by it had no legal backing for their complaints. I'm sure they're researched this thoroughly for the UK, but in the US there is no law against taking pictures of anything visible from a public space, with only some classified government facilities and high-threat targets as camera-free zones. As such, anything visible from a street is completely legal. There are some caveats for commercial gain, but these do not apply either.

At first StreetView was highly detailed at every zoom level. This originally made it possible to see into some windows (a cat in someone's window in Boston was a very famous one), crimes in progress (numerous), and other oddities caught on camera (there were numerous online news reports about them).

6. Yes, we had the same problems here in the states. Leftwing loonies who think their privacy is being invaded because someone snaps a picture of their home. The most famous of Street View lawsuits was settled just yesterday. Angry homeowners 0, Google 1. It's sad that people think so much of their privacy and do so little to stop real threats to it, but will sue a mega-corp like Google hoping for a few million in be quiet money. Google Street View is an early and small step towards the technology that facinated us all in those science fiction shows we watched as kids. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/02/18/street-view-lawsuit-dismissed

5. Was there any of this sort of ridiculous, negative reaction to Google Street View in the States? I do not recall hearing of any, but that may just be because I do not live in the US.

Why is it that some people are just so against the idea of technology being used to improve the lives of people?

As the first commenter here noted, the pictures on Google are not showing anything that is not visible from the street anyway and so offers burglars (or other would-be criminals) no advantage when perpetrating their crime. But Street View does have a significant benefit for people who are just trying to find a specific destination.

4. well, everyone's entitled to privacy if they want it

3. On the contrary, for a meticulous burglar you can check possible escape routes, reachable windows, fire escapes, security lights.

2. i agree. this kind of 'luddite' vigilante action will only serve to highlight the so-called affluence of their area and attract more burglars. Good deterrent Mr Jacobs - top marks for niavety!

1. Before Google: burglars walk down road, observing houses.

With Google: burglars also have the option of getting less information but without having to be there.

Advantage to burglars: minimal.

Before Google: normal people looking for a certain place only know where they're going, not what they're looking for once they're there.

With Google: We can see a place and take note of landmarks, parking, what the place looks like, etc.

Advantage to everyone: sizable.

This is a rather stupid over-reaction; Google have every right to take photos of houses provided they stay on public roads whilst doing so, and capture on film only what would be publicly viewable from the street.