Not Before Coffee

Have you ever checked out the satellite image of your home via Google Earth http://earth.google.com – or seen a close-up of it on Google Street View, a program that lets you explore neighborhoods virtually, just as if you were driving through them? These services are quite a trip – a great time savers for tasks like house hunting. But they’re also controversial. Last year the U.S. Department of Defense barred Google from gathering street images on military bases and installations.

In Greece, the Data Protection Authority ordered the company to stop taking photos until it can work out a security safeguard policy to follow.

In Japan, where streets are narrow and fences low, people have complained about the images that have been captured in their yards. The street views are taken by still camera on top of a moving car.

According to Google, the site has blurred faces and license plates. They are trying to consider cultural sensitivities for instance, by lowering the camera angle in Japan. If you are disturbed by an image relating to you, request to have it removed by clicking “Report a Concern” at the bottom of Street View Image. Google will take your request into consideration.