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What’s Next after Google Street View?
By John F | July 8, 2008
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Google will soon be launching Google Street View in Europe. It’s similar to Google maps, but as the name suggests, has street views of streets throughout major cities of Europe. Google Street View hasn’t been launched in the UK yet. However, Google cars with their mounted cameras have been spotted in the major cities in the UK recently. Google state “London may be one of the cities included when we launch Street View in Europe”.
It has caused a “for and against” divide amongst people. The “for” brigade will find it useful researching new cities and routes. Tourists will definitely find it useful. The “against” contingent find it intrusive and another infringement on privacy. Personally I am on the “against” side at the moment.
Google Earth and Google maps are a brilliant free tool that I use on a weekly basis, but zooming into a street to see a particular building or house is getting a bit extreme.
The main sticking point is that when Google have been taking pictures they have been capturing people and people in cars, with registration plates visible. Google have now blurred people’s faces and registration plates.
This is not fool proof, as Google admit that some pictures will not be blurred 100% and that individuals will have to request blurring or removal from Google Street View. They state:
“As with all such systems operating at this scale our blurring technology is not perfect - we occasionally miss a face or license plate, for example if they are partially covered, or at a difficult angle,” said Horvarth. “However, we tested the technology thoroughly before launch and I am confident that it finds and blurs the vast majority of identifiable faces and license plates. For the few that we miss, the tools within the product make it easy for users to report a face or license plate for extra blurring. As always, users can still ask for their image to be removed from the product entirely.”
I am trying to keep an open mind about this, but at the moment, I’d rather not be caught in a Google Street View picture, and especially the house where I live and my car. What next, Google Intestinal View?
Topics: Other Usefulness |