EU warns Google over Street View

 

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By Barry Collins and Reuters

Posted on 15 May 2008 at 13:55

Google's detailed street-level photography could raise privacy concerns, according to the EU's data protection agency.

Google's Street View offers ground-level, 360-degree views of streets in 30 US cities. It has become popular among drivers but courted controversy over potential privacy invasion.

"Making pictures everywhere is certainly going to create some problems," says European Union data protection supervisor, Peter Hustinx.

But Hustinx, who works with Europe's national authorities to set consistent rules on data and privacy protection through the 27-country bloc, says he is confident Google will take European law into account.

Earlier this week, Google revealed that it's implementing new technology that automatically blurs faces in Street View images, in a move that's clearly designed to allay privacy fears.

In March Google said it would comply with a Pentagon request to remove certain images from Street View over fears they posed a security threat to US military bases.

Other concerns have been more banal. In one instance, a man was pictured exiting a San Francisco strip club. In another case, a woman was shown sunbathing.