Switzerland Sues Google Over Street View
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Switzerland, sues, google, street, view | Themes: The Internet, Business
Switzerland is suing Google because of the company's Street View mapping application.
Over the last year, Google Street View has come under fire in countries all around the globe. Japan, Greece, Germany and the UK have all aired their grievances in one way or another. In September, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner of Switzerland, Hanspeter Thür, requested Google be more stringent about blurring faces and license plates before images appeared online.
The FDPIC had several problems with Street View. The Commissioner was particularly concerned the inadequate blurring of faces and license plates in photographs taken outside sensitive locations like hospitals, schools and prisons. The Commissioner also had an issue with the height of the cameras. Similar to Google's plight in Japan, the FDPIC argued that the height of the cameras allowed people using Street View to see more than if they were just walking down the road, namely, into people's backyards or gardens.
A statement released on Friday said that Google "for the most part declined to comply with requests" and revealed that the FDPIC felt it had no choice but to pursue the matter further by taking legal action against Google.
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ROFL!!! wahhh Google saw me fall on my bike WAHHHH!!
Ha Ha dumb kid on the bike
But OMG no everyone is a spy!
Spy sappin my google!(gotta say that in the TF2 voice)
If an extremely tall person walks down the street and sees me fall off my bike, I'm going to sue him/her!
LOLS. Whats funny is everyone is defending Google but if the Govt was doing this the same people would be flippen out saying the GOVT has no right to spy on them.
But if the Government were doing this, they would have different intentions. Does google care if you're on benefits but actually are halfway up a ladder painting your house? Does google care if your car is parked illegally? Google is doing this as a streetview, to allow people to view the street, not a spy-on-you-to-see-what-you-are-doing-view. In the case of the bike riding fail, anyone that lives there knows that you fall of your bike a lot, and anyone that doesn't, doesn't know you so what do you care?
LOLS. Whats funny is everyone is defending Google but if the Govt was doing this the same people would be flippen out saying the GOVT has no right to spy on them.
Govt already does this with spy sats...
Its a common misconception that spy sats can see what you're doing. They are so high, that they cant see anything smaller than a few metres, ie they won't see you, probably won't even be able to see your car. On google earth, the pictures are taken from a plane. Anyway, thats besides the point. In the uk, the council have used anti-terror laws to spy on people to see if they pick up their dog's poo!
News at 11: Public information made public. Public outcry! Lawsuit ensues.
me and my girlfriend are on street view, kissing, but I don't remember going to that park, and for some reason on that picture I'm skinny, tall and blond.
People would be flipping out in the US, but the government has every right to monitor public regulated property. This includes front lawns.
Considering the UK wants to put Nanny Cams inside peoples homes to make sure you're giving proper care to your child, Google street view is pretty tame. Especially considering they take the time to blur peoples faces and license plates which they are under no legal obligation to do since you being on government regulated property is considered consent. This is why the News can walk up to you, take your picture and make it front page for no reason. You can sue for various reasons, but it's not illegal.
Google is bending over backwards to keep people happy when it comes to street view. They take entire communities out at the request of the community.
Its a common misconception that spy sats can see what you're doing. They are so high, that they cant see anything smaller than a few metres, ie they won't see you, probably won't even be able to see your car. On google earth, the pictures are taken from a plane. Anyway, thats besides the point. In the uk, the council have used anti-terror laws to spy on people to see if they pick up their dog's poo!
You are referring to radar class satellites which only can only recognize thing 3 feet or larger. These were quite the big deal in the 80's.
The keyhole-class sats have a resolution of 5-6 inches. These sats traveled at speeds estimated at Mach 24. This was the capability of satellites in 2001.
I'm waiting for street view to bust a drug cartel
I
In the uk, the council have used anti-terror laws to spy on people to see if they pick up their dog's poo!
Now that is seriously a good use for that law... you know how frustrating it is when you go to mow or rake your lawn and you have a pile of shit the size of a subway sandwich by a dog the size of a lion!? Now that's real terrorism... "WHO IS THE PHANTOM CRAPPER!?"
Does every Tom, Dick and Harry have acess to Govt. spy satellites?If they did Street Veiw would be quite redundant now would'nt it?
Its a common misconception that spy sats can see what you're doing. They are so high, that they cant see anything smaller than a few metres, ie they won't see you, probably won't even be able to see your car. On google earth, the pictures are taken from a plane. Anyway, thats besides the point. In the uk, the council have used anti-terror laws to spy on people to see if they pick up their dog's poo!
After looking through thousands of air and sat photos we have determined our target is nowhere on the rooftops.
However on a more serious note I can see the whole blurring out faces/license plates but your backyards... honestly it's not going to make breaking into your house any less hard...
Does every Tom, Dick and Harry have acess to Govt. spy satellites?If they did Street Veiw would be quite redundant now would'nt it?
What you don't have one? Did you not get the memo?
Its a common misconception that spy sats can see what you're doing. They are so high, that they cant see anything smaller than a few metres
They could 20+ years ago, in Gorbatchov's times (I recall him saying that spysats can nor read number plates) and I doubt that they've suddenly became worse, than they were.
To reiterate for anyone that has ANY doubt, YES the gov't has satellites that are capable of seeing what you are doing, right down to what kind of shoes you wear (given the right angle). but No the gov't isn't doing it b/c those satellites are employed doing more useful and important things b/c, contrary to your belief, you are not the center of the world nor do you matter that much
Hey Switzerland, go back to your cave and you'll be safe there! PUBLIC=PUBLIC
What does China have to say about Google's street view?
I just don't like Google. I know I will get flac for that. You are welcome to e-mail me at my google e-mail address about it. But Google Docs, Earth, Wave, Google Soul, Google is my Father, and all that other under supported, under developed crap they can keep.
And don't defend them to me because I have contacted them on several occasion about stuff being broken, non-functional, or incorrect. All I ever get is "Well its in Beta" or "We don't support that because we built the delivery service, not the application." Google, F--k you.
In communist Russia, street view googles YOU.
Google street view is okay, but they need to let you mod the controls so that WSAD does forward/back + strafing and you have free mouse look.
Then we need a few zombies.
Oh, and weapons. - LOTS of weapons.
You know that would be the best game ever...
LOLS. Whats funny is everyone is defending Google but if the Govt was doing this the same people would be flippen out saying the GOVT has no right to spy on them.
Precisely. Everyone is completely hypocritical when it comes to privacy.
And what do you mean "IF" the government was doing this? They do it everyday.
I don't get it. They are suing. Switzerland I thought you were neutral. Now you want war? Google vs. Switzerland. Get out your Rolexes and Search Engines... we got a pussy fight.
Does every Tom, Dick and Harry have acess to Govt. spy satellites?If they did Street Veiw would be quite redundant now would'nt it?
You forgot Sally...
You forgot Sally...
Don't be silly, Harry and Sally haven't spoken since the early 90's.
This is nothing more than just another government shakedown of a large company for the simple purpose of revenue collection. It's basically extortion by fiat. Quite frankly, I'm pretty tired of this kind of crap. If it were my company, I would blackout Switzerland. "You don't like an aspect of our service? Fine, you don't get it then." Have a nice little webpage, in Swiss and English of course, apologizing for the lack of access and explaining why (or maybe just a high resolution JPG of my middle finger).
Does every Tom, Dick and Harry have acess to Govt. spy satellites?If they did Street Veiw would be quite redundant now would'nt it?
You forgot Sally...
Don't be silly, Harry and Sally haven't spoken since the early 90's.
Actually that was a ref. to "Third Rock From the Sun".