Google Street View will launch later this spring featuring fully 3D representations of many areas of Britain's metropolises, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh
Users will be able to pop along to Google Maps feature and virtually travel around at street level, with millions of 3D photographs used to offer a 360° horizontal and 290° vertical view of their location.
Google Street View teams have been scouring and photographing key UK cityscapes since July earlier this year, causing some concern amongst privacy campaigners.
Privacy concerns
British pressure group Privacy International claims Google's technology breaches data protection laws and is considering taking the case to the Information Commissioner.
Privacy International spokesperson Simon Davis, said earlier this year: "In our view they need a person's consent if they make use of a person's face for commercial ends."
For its part, Google has promised to ensure that faces of any people photographed are obscured.
Your comments (3) Click to add a new comment
novaloca
January 27th
3. Street Level view was launched in the property maps on commercial property search engine NovaLoca.com last November stealing a march on Google by bringing this latest mapping techology to the UK first. Take a look for yourself.
Alert a moderator
smokeonit
January 5th
2. "Privacy International spokesperson Simon Davis, said earlier this year: "In our view they need a person's consent if they make use of a person's face for commercial ends.""
since google does blur faces the whole argument is senseless!
and it's legal in the EU and other FREE countries to make photographs while on public grounds! as long as the emphasis is not one one particular person the photo CAN be used... even for commercial purposes... let's say you photograph a house, and there's people in front of it, but your emphasis is on the house, then you can still use that photo! only if you photograph a specific person you need consent of that person to use that photo commercially...!
i think "Privacy International" needs to get a grip on reality! i find it hilarious...!!!
Alert a moderator
markthor
December 29th 2008
1. "In our view they need a person's consent if they make use of a person's face for commercial ends."
So the fact that Britain has more surveillance cameras per person than any other country in the world isn't a privacy issue?
How about the TV, you know, going out in public, filming, showing peoples faces, broadcasting it and then raking in the Advertising?
Google isn't an invasion of privacy any more than these things.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments