Google fanboys egg blurred-out Street View homes

[Emil]

The ongoing privacy dispute over Google Street View got a little crazier this past weekend. Some Germans who elected to have their homes removed from the service were victimized by anti-privacy vandals who threw eggs at their homes and left "Google's cool" notes taped to their mailboxes, according to Deutsche Welle.

Google Street View only went online in Germany this month, after a very public controversy about the service. Many Germans complained that Street View violated their privacy, and Google took the unusual step of allowing consumers to opt-out of the service before it went online. Almost 250,000 Germans, or about 3 percent of the country's population, did so. The vandals apparently found this an easy way to find and target them.

Google has had a few privacy issues in the past, but Google Street View has been particularly problematic, In addition to Germany, Street View photography investigations have been made, or are still ongoing, by Canada, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Greece, Italy, Japan, Switerland, and the United Kingdom.

Google says it "distances itself completely" from people such as this. "We've clearly given people the possibility to blur out their house, and naturally we respect their wishes," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "Those people who want to make use of the function should do so.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/41285-google-fanboys-egg-blurred-out-street-view-homes.html

 

[Burty117]

Just read this on BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11827862

Now the only people that have a list would be Google and the Govorment.

So... WTF?!

 

[Burty117]

Never mind, my mind must be slow today

 

[TomSEA]

Wonder why people are so wound up about having their house on street view? It's not like a news camera or someone with a still-shot camera couldn't take a picture and put it on the Internet at any time anyway. There are no people in the views and license plates are blurred out so it's about as private as you could get. I've found it really handy for finding specific locations.

(shrugs) Guess some folks are just paranoid.

 

[Burty117]

Yeah, I agree.

Its actually very useful, I was trying to find my way through reading to go shopping and I got warned getting to the car park was a B*tch. I didn't have a sat nav at the time (that was any decent anyway) so I used google.

Man was it useful to have been able to see the road before I got there!

I don't agree with this but it is funny how people have got so offended by there house being put on street view.

 

[Leeky]

Wonder why people are so wound up about having their house on street view?

Wonders how many topless lasses have been photographed during googles street view project...

...And how many husbands have wondered why there's a strange car on their driveway in street view all of a sudden...... :haha:

But in all seriousness, I don't get the "issue".

 

[Archean]

Issue is giving 'unlimited' access to information to just one corporation; and frankly corporations can't be trusted, because they are driven by 'bottom lines' and 'profits'; not by ethics, ethics are only used to cover stuff up which they don't want others to know. Beside, everyone spend money to either 'buy' or 'build' their own home, so I think it is perfectly reasonable argument that any commercial use of such data must be done only once the owner have given permission.

 

[Burty117]

Archean said:
Issue is giving 'unlimited' access to information to just one corporation; and frankly corporations can't be trusted, because they are driven by 'bottom lines' and 'profits'; not by ethics, ethics are only used to cover stuff up which they don't want others to know. Beside, everyone spend money to either 'buy' or 'build' their own home, so I think it is perfectly reasonable argument that any commercial use of such data must be done only once the owner have given permission.

I can understand that but surely that means everyone who walks past would need permission to look at said persons house?

 

[captaincranky]

I keep posting this, and everybody keeps ignoring it, but I like to hear myself talk, so here we go again.

It is illegal to use a photograph for commercial purposes, without a signed model release. The same could be enforced for a building by virtue of a property release.

 

[Benny26]

When i saw the Google car coming up the street (lucky me), i ran out and got my blurred face all over it man....and my dirty white shirt i was wearing. XD

Thats my 1 second of fame right there!

 

[DokkRokken]

Wow, what a bunch of nerds. I hope someone manages to Google their information and egg them back.

 

[uhclem]

captaincranky said:
I keep posting this, and everybody keeps ignoring it, but I like to hear myself talk, so here we go again.

It is illegal to use a photograph for commercial purposes, without a signed model release. The same could be enforced for a building by virtue of a property release.

Hey Captain *******, we ignore you because we know buildings never willingly sign model releases.
I guess they're stuccoed up or something.

 

[captaincranky]

One Post Doesn't Make You Part of We....

unless of course you're moderately to severely delusional..........

Hey Captain *******, we ignore you because we know buildings never willingly sign model releases.
I guess they're stuccoed up or something.

How can "we" be ignoring me, when this is your first post, and you're not actually part of anything yet. The property owner must sign the release. Couldn't you figure that out by yourself? Sure ya could, you just think you're clever dontcha "Twatsley", and wanna run your yap.

And don't send me any friendship requests until at least 2013.

 

[yukka]

its only a matter of time before google street view is taken down. why do we want a tool accessible by everyone that means no suspicious people checking out stuff, they can just look online and find any dark secluded alleyway or house they want and check out if it looks like crap or looks like its worth robbing.

my 2 penneth. google dont care as long as they make their money and cement their future.