Aussie streets get the Google view
5 August 2008 12:08PM
Tags:
google | street | view | privacy
Google’s Street View mapping tool went live throughout Australia today, amidst worldwide controversy that the program may be overstepping the bounds of privacy.
Street View provides a panoramic, street-level glimpse of areas searched through Google Maps.
Since its debut in the US last May, it has expanded to areas of Europe, and today, Japan and Australia.
Most areas of Oz are featured on the tool, including regional and outback towns, with a few exceptions like Uluru. Google says it hopes to add more Aussie street images in the coming months.
Street View has experienced its share of controversy, though, as privacy advocates from around the globe have deemed it an invasion of rights.
Google has already made the change to digitally blur the faces of any person featured on the program, after complaints arose from people who were caught doing embarrassing or private things.
But the search giant has shot back at what it thinks are more outrageous invasion claims. It infamously told an American couple who where suing over their house’s appearance on Street View that “complete privacy does not exist.”
As for Aussie streets, Google has gotten the all-clear from the Privacy Commissioner and other advocates.
It also provides users with the option to ‘opt-out’ or report anything deemed sensitive or inappropriate. Anyone who has a problem with an image on Street View is encouraged to contact Google first, then the Australian Privacy Commission.