Google sued for Street View privacy invasion
By
Iain Thomson
8 April 2008 07:54AM
Tags:
google | sued | street | view | privacy | invasion
A Pennsylvania couple are suing Google for posting pictures of their home on Google Street View..
The couple have filed a case claiming that one of Google's vehicles which photographs urban areas using a digital camera mounted on the roof took the photos by driving up a road clearly marked 'Private Property'.
"As residents living in a private road Plaintiffs had a reasonable expectation of privacy, as well as within their exclusive residence," the filing reads.
"The invasion of Plaintiffs was substantial and highly offensive to a reasonable person. Revealing this information has caused Plaintiffs mental suffering and diminished the value of their property."
Google Street View includes a function that allows homeowners to have their pictures removed.
But it appears that the couple have not used the feature and are taking a legal approach. They have asked for US$25,000 in damages.
The couple's case is also weakened by the fact that photographs of their home, along with their names and a detailed description, are already on the Allegheny County real estate website.
"Isn't litigation the only way to change a big business' conduct with the public?" the couple's attorney, Dennis Moskal, told the Boston Globe. "What happened to their accountability?"
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