Controversy surrounds UK Street View
By James • Mar 15th, 2010 • Category: Industry News
- Photo: Bryan Thomson
Google Street view is available in a number of countries around the world, and allows users to navigate more easily than they could with conventional maps through the use of pictures displaying 360-degree images of the streets they’re finding their way around, ready for viewing on a mobile. Around 95 per cent of Britain’s roads appear on the service. Google sent out its cars and cameras in 2008, just before the recession hit, and so it’s interesting to note that many of its images contain views of retail outlets that are no longer in existence – Woolworths among them.
Privacy
Controversy about Google Street View results mainly from the fact that some people are concerned about the invasion of privacy that comes with having pictures of their streets and homes online. The residents who are against the use of the service are worried about the fact that the images that it publishes appear without their permission. One attempt made by Google to maintain privacy is their use of technology that blurs faces and licence plates – at least they can avoid controversy about that.
‘A tool for burglars’
- Photo: Davis McCardle
The useful navigational tool could be just as useful to burglars as it is to the average person, some feel. While there’s no proof that the launch of Google UK Street View has actually caused an increase in burglaries, it’s easy to see why residents might be concerned at the increased level of access to information about their homes. It doesn’t seem that the controversy about security is likely to go away in any hurry, but time will tell whether complaints are justified.
Google Street View Awards
Earlier this month, Google announced the winners of its Street View Awards. The most pictureque streets in Britain have been chosen, and the winner is a street in York called Shambles, which by all accounts is well-deserving of its award. Over 11,000 people cast their votes in the competition, and images of the runners up can be seen in a gallery enabled by Google’s Streetview technology.
New ideas
- Photo: Robert Harding
Google Street View has already been incorporated into the sites and programmes of numerous other companies. Real estate sites are given a great shortcut in allowing their prospective purchasers views of the neighbourhoods they’re interested in, while a virtual driving programme has created links with the images in order to make learning driving and navigation an easier process. It’s just a matter of time before the technology is harnessed by even more users.
Tags for this article: google
Street View is creating a valuable ‘Historical Picture Log’
Google Street View is a fantastic piece of New Technology allowing ‘Real Estate Agents’ to give a more accurate description of the area, and for the potential client to search from the comfort of their armchair. Google Street View is also creating a most valuable ‘Historical Picture Log’ that might prove in the course of time to be invaluable to researchers and Legal proofs etc.
Would you sooner discover before you buy a property if there were any bad aspects to the area in question rather than find out after you have bought the property?
As for Google Street View to discover a child naked on any street proves only one thing, a positive identification should now lead to a parent being prosecuted for allowing this child out undressed and without adult supervision. Well done Street View.
Don’t blame Street View prosecute the parents.
Signed Carl Barron Chairman of agpcuk