Google Street View: “Privacy Does Not Exist”
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Google has took a hit after its street view feature and the company is accused that their world does not have privacy. Ken Boehm, chairman of the US National Legal and Policy Centre (NLPC) has said that “Google’s hypocrisy is breathtaking”.
Aaron and Christine Boring and Google are currently in a lawsuit regarding the Boring’s household being pictured in the street view feature, which the family say has caused them mental suffering and has effected the value of their Pennsylvania home. The couple are claming for damages of $25,000.
Boehm said: “Perhaps in Google’s world privacy does not exist, but in the real world individual privacy is fundamentally important and is being chipped away bit by bit every day by companies like Google.” Google responded: “Today’s satellite-image technology means that even in today’s desert, complete privacy does not exist.” The pictures, which showed the house and swimming pool of the couple’s home, were removed in April when they filed a lawsuit. The pictures also were reported to have shown the registration plate of the family car, and the company that the neighbours used for their home security.
Google added: “When plaintiffs discovered these images, rather than using the simple removal option Google affords, they sued Google for invasion of privacy, trespass, negligence and conversion. Google respects an individual’s right to privacy. We have privacy protections built into all of our products.”
While I understand how the couple are upset that their home was pictured on the feature, everybody’s home is visible on Google Earth. Although these pictures show the registration plate of their car, and I agree that this is a breach of privacy, I fail to understand how this has caused mental suffering. I agree with Google in regards to how the family should have immediately contacted Google for the pictures to be removed. Instead, perhaps, this could have been viewed as an opportunity to get some finanical gain.
While I am unaware of anybody that uses services such as these to breach people’s privacy, I do agree that, to an extent, privacy was breached, but the Boring’s should have contacted Google to have the pictures removed instead of allowing many other people seeing the images by going to a court of law.
What do you think? Is this a breach of privacy? Should Google be forced to pay the $25,000, or should the family have reported it instead of attempting to claim damages? Would you have done the same as the Boring family, and what do you think in general of Google’s street view feature. Let me and the community know, leave a comment.
9 Comments
FlagFreak
August 2nd, 2008
at 1:42pm
Privacy is just a way to stop people from seeing the naughty things you do. If people were not naughty, then we wouldn’t want any privacy.
ShadowMyth
August 4th, 2008
at 12:25am
FlagFreak…you have some serious issues.
As far as the situation goes, it is obvious these people were just looking for a quick $25,000. I thought it was cool my house was on there, and I personally love the street view for checking into new neighborhoods you might want to move to, etc.
I mean unless it is live feed, it is just really difficult to claim privacy issues…seriously. Now I know why I keep coming across blocked out areas, or obscured areas on the maps.
Sangueffusor
August 4th, 2008
at 4:00am
Couldn’t anyone have just driven by and seen the same things that Google photographed?
E2001
August 4th, 2008
at 6:46am
“You say yo haven’t been the same since you had your little crash,
But you might feel better if they gave you some cash.
The more I think about it, old Billy was right,
Let’s kill all the lawyers; kill ‘em tonight.
You don’t wanna work, you want to live like a king,
But the big bad world doesn’t owe you a thing.
GET OVER IT!”
Marcus Hamaker
August 4th, 2008
at 6:55am
It is interesting what people label as privacy. If I were to have driven by their house on the same day behind the Google recorder then I would have seen the same thing. That doesn’t mean that everyone in the world would have access to see it if they so chose to. That is the issue here I believe. Now me being the internet nut and technology nut that I am would be excited to see my house online. The only thing that I would be concerned with is the car license plate. I think Google should make an effort to blank them out when they record their video.
DragonRider
August 4th, 2008
at 9:52am
Hmmm… I am not truly sure how I feel about this. However, if I were home, and saw someone taking pictures of my house, I am pretty sure that I would either be asking them exactly WHY they feel the need to be taking pictures of my house, or calling the police to have them ask why (depending on the general appearance and deportment of the individual taking the photos). The statement that the author is unaware of the use of such services for breach of privacy has zero merit. The point it that it COULD be used for such. The statement that if we were not doing anything naughty we would need no privacy is specious and laughable, this person needs to think about things a little more. The fact that someone can drive by and see the same thing is likewise arguable… The MIGHT see the same thing, but what they see might be temporary (like trash waiting pickup, or a remodel job, or… who knows what else). These pictures now become a semi-permanent record of my home, with no regard for content. I can think of any number of reason why I might not wish random individuals to be taking pictures of my dwelling. Aside from potential marketing abuse (can we say a searchable database for business to sell us siding, roofing, paint jobs, lawn care or whatever, and don’t say that it can’t be done… ), there are potential security issues involved (wow, crooks can use the internet to canvas a neighborhood for likely targets now… spiffy).
I think that if google truly wishes to have this feature, it should be an opt in rather than an opt out… ask for people to submit picture THEY approve of, of their homes, rather than taking them and removing them later IF someone finds they are there…
Oh, and one last thing… whether or not a picture would capture the plate number of a car is beside the point… they now know WHAT kind of car you own, how new it is… and how knows what else.. TIme of day can be estimated from photos, and hmm… wow… no one is home around the 2 o’clock hour.. interesting…
Think folks, there is a world of difference between a 5 second drive by view and a permanent record that can be studied…
bears
August 4th, 2008
at 9:41pm
Former Intel CEO Andy Grove once said something like, “There is no such thing as privacy - get over it!” That’s true. Sounds like these people are on a money grab. Who cares where they live? Like the one person said, you can get the same info driving by their house. My DIL was upset once because her phone number was on google. I said, “Who cares? Are you in the phone book? What’s the difference?”
Jack Yan
December 17th, 2008
at 1:55am
It’s been a pretty long established legal rule in many jurisdictions (certainly when I was at law school) that if the public can see it, then there’s no case against someone photographing it. Now, if Google intentionally was there to peer into the Borings’ household as though they were Brad and Angelina, then there might be a case to answer. To be perfectly frank, they are not that important.
Google Street View Lawsuit Thrown Out Of Court ~ Internet Nut
February 20th, 2009
at 3:24am
[...] had been displayed on an image in the street view feature that Google offers, which you can view here. Although Mr and Mrs Boring had the support of US National Legal and Policy Centre (NLPC), which [...]