Frederick Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I know just about all our houses are on Google Earth and we had no choice in that I believe ....but ...I get an uneasy feeling about this new planned Google View service where you can punch in any address and get a close up of ....and all round view of the house .....The thought of a car with a camera pole on the roof just turning up and "doing " the road photographing your home to show the cars in the drive . your access.... gates ....if the house is screened by trees ....who and what is at the back etc ......I am not happy with this ...but then I am not a burglar or car thief ..... if I was I would be delighted to know Google has picked my targets for me ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I believe you can ask them to remove shots of your property. There was a news story an American couple took Google to task about their house being visible on Street View... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 From Wikipedia...Privacy advocates have objected to this Google feature, pointing to views found to show men leaving strip clubs, protesters at an abortion clinic, sunbathers in bikinis, cottagers at public parks, parents hitting their children, males picking up prostitutes and other activities, as well as people engaging in activities visible from public property in which they do not wish to be seen publicly.[26] Google maintains that the photos were taken from public property. Before launching the service, Google removed photos of domestic violence shelters, and allows users to flag inappropriate or sensitive imagery for Google to review and remove.[27] When the service was first launched, the process for requesting that an image be removed was not trivial;[28] however, Google has since changed its policy to make removal more straightforward.[29] Images of potential break-ins, sunbathers and individuals entering adult bookstores have, for example, remained active and these images have been widely republished.[30]In Europe, the creation of Google Street View may not be legal in all places. While the laws vary from country to country, many countries in Europe have laws prohibiting the unconsented filming of an individual on public property for the purpose of public display.[31]One of Google's remedies to the concerns over privacy laws outside the United States has been a pledge to blur faces of people who are filmed. Google began blurring faces on 13 May 2008[32] and the images published since then, including the first launch of images in Europe on 2 June 2008, have all used face blurring.In 2007, Google pledged not to identify faces or number plates in Australia.[33] However, as of August 2008, it is still possible to view both.[34][35]Google has delayed the release of its street views of Washington, D.C. and other nearby areas of Maryland and Virginia (including Baltimore, Central Maryland and Northern Virginia) out of concern from the United States Department of Homeland Security that some of the images taken may be of security-sensitive areas.[citation needed]The Pentagon has banned Google from publishing Street View content of U.S. military bases and asked Google to remove existing content of bases (to which Google has complied).[36]Some parents have expressed concern over Street View compromising the security of their children.[37]Aaron and Christine Boring, a Pittsburgh couple sued Google for "invasion of privacy". They claimed that Street View made a photo of their home available online, and it diminished the value of their house, which was purchased for its privacy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Thanks for all that information Sunday Driver ......this subject popped up in a conversation with a relative in Queensland who has noticed the latest Google mapping shows their new car at their house ...they think they have been "visited " some time in the past 6 months by the Google camera ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybananasbrother Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I reckon that 'face blurrer' would be a nice little job that would last a good few years. And I could get kickbacks not to hide some.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 I suppose the photo of the delivery truck in Spearman St in Australia with the drivers bare feet sticking out of the cab while he sleeps in the firms time means he is now out of work ......... he must love Google ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Where do they get the blinking money from to send out all these bods and specially equipped vans.I expect the answer will come back as advertising revenue so therefore we all pay for it in the costs of the products that we buy.I can honestly say that the adverts on web pages never register with me (even easier since I lost the sight in one eye) and I have never even clicked on one, however there may be a subliminal effect getting the name or logo remembered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I think it's a great idea. It will cut down on more pollution. Think about it, at the moment, when burglars case the joint, they have to drive to their prospective target, slowly driving up and down the streets searching for the perfect plan of attack and then having to drive back to base. This process may be repeated several times. Now they simply hop on google street, do all the research they need there and just make the one trip there and back with the stolen goods. They greenies will be very happy![;-)]I must say, I enjoyed looking back at all the properties we've owned in Australia and seeing how they've changed. That part of it is good. Not done the UK as far as I can tell though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Interesting report on Google Street on TV today. Apparently a woman's violent ex who she had been hiding from for a number of years tracked her down using this. Scary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josa Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 To be perfectly honest I have no problem with any photos which show only that which can be seen from the public street anyway. What I may have an issue with are the birds-eye view ones taken from the air which show my house and look into my garden where it could not be seen in any other way - thats an intrusion!By the way, for the life of me I can't see how you can track someone down using this, but maybe I have missed something - can anyone explain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/uk-privacy-group-asks-for-google-street-view-shut-down.ars - paragraph five includes the incident that was covered on the TV.Formal letter letter to the Information Commissioner from Privacy International citing the above case plus a few others. (Brief reference in the list of incidents in the bit 'The human face of street view' with a more detailed paragraph further down). My sister was in the same position as this woman (violent ex determined to track her down) so I identify completely with her horror of finding a publically available picture of herself outside her new 'safe' home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Perhaps from a photo of the person outside the home ..like a picture of the kids sent to dad taken in the garden ..Then the home identified by looking at every one in the area street by street if you believe they live in the area ...Looking for the one with the identifiable trees shrubs etc if the houses are all the same ....then you have the address .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josa Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Ah! - that makes sense - but I would think a detemined person could just as easily drive around the area with the same result? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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