Google snaps up photo locator site

Google has agreed to acquire Spanish photo site Panoramio for an undisclosed sum.

Panoramio groups photos on maps, pinpointing the geographic location where they were taken. The site boasts more than a million photos and more than 300,000 registered users.

The service has been used in both Google Maps and Google Earth, grouping pictures of tourist attractions and scenic locations.

Panoramio will continue to operate as an independent entity.

"We've been working with Panoramio for some time, its photos have been a default layer in Google Earth since the beginning of the year," explained John Hanke, director of Google's Map, Earth, and Local programs.

"This layer will remain in place as our teams work together toward further integrating this amazing content, generated by many, into our mapping technologies."

Google will, however, need to address and issue with Panoramio's user permissions. As part of its terms of service, Panoramio allows users to opt out of the service and have their personal information deleted if the service is acquired by another company.

A site has been set up to allow Panoramio users to pull their photos and user information from the site before the data is transferred to Google at the close of the acquisition.

Google expects that it will be able to finalize the deal by the end of June.

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