Google Humiliated in Japan: Must Redo Street View
- Categories: Japan, News
- Date: May 13, 2009 21:44 JST
- Tags: Censorship, Google, Internet, Law, Politics, Privacy, Technology, Voyeurism
Google has been forced by public pressure to retake the entirety of its Street View photographs in Japan, with the camera lowered 40cm to prevent people’s homes being exposed to the world by a camera peeping over their fences.
Google’s Street View addition to Google Maps, which allows users to access photos taken from public roads in a number of countries, has long incensed many Japanese, who have complained of rampant violations of their privacy.
A variety of online and citizen’s groups had raised a range of complaints about the scheme, chiefly centred on the failure to obtain consent before photographing people’s homes, and the wide variety of abuse the photos can be put to, with everything from burglary to stalking conceivably facilitated.
Until now Google had largely ignored them, providing sops in the form of mosaics and removal on request, as well as automatically blurring number plates (and frequently random text visible on signs), but in the face of increasing anger both online and off, they have finally relented and introduced further changes.
In response, Google finally caved to the growing unhappiness by reducing the height of its cameras by 40cm to reduce visibility of private property from the roads, and has announced it will retake its entire database of photos from the new height.
Additionally, it is offering a variety of reporting features, including an offline telephone reporting line, to allow people to opt out of its developing surveillance network. Sections of Streetview occasionally become mysteriously unavailable, and it seems this is the cause. It will still assume people consent to having their property photographed, however.
Google has put a brave face on the defeat, hardly mentioning the vociferous protests, instead saying it “adjusted the program in accordance with the width of roads and the local housing conditions.”
Allowing people to request removal of their domicile may be a measure unlikely to satisfy many offline groups, since it seems the vast majority of those whose homes are photographed are likely unaware of the fact and are being imposed upon as a result.
Via Gigazine.
The simplistic argument that “people should have no expectation of privacy in a public space” may once have been applicable to such cases, but clearly cannot apply to technology which in a few iterations will enable ubiquitous real-time monitoring of anyone visible from a public space.
Perpetually recording and watching people come and go from their homes and to who knows where else will hardly be impeded by merely mosaicing their faces, so if people are to retain some semblance of privacy in the digital age responsible conduct or regulated activity is necessary from companies such as Google.
Tales of people’s private lives becoming public knowledge with disastrous consequences are already becoming commonplace.
Of course, allowing virtual access to the cities of the world also brings with it significant economic benefits, only likely to increase…
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Photography is not a crime.
It is depending on what you photograph.
yeah
Hm, well Japan is tech savvy
The Google Street View car actually drove by my house today. And it's highly possible that it looked into my window. But I don't care.
I'm now eagerly awaiting the upload of the images to see my stupid face on Google Maps.
+1
Requested link once uploaded =)
Ａ ｍｕｓｔ ｈａｖｅ． Ｎｏ ｄｏｕｂｔ ａｂｏｕｔ ｉｔ．
I hate all this Big Brother talk. Society is the first one to try to vigilate itself, according to the wishes/morals of the majority of the people. Just see the RapeLay case.
I don't agree with invasion of privacy, but I certainly don't mind Google Streets or security cameras, as long as they're not invading my privacy (which, thanks to capitalism, they would try to evade, since most people would sue them, otherwise). And no, this isn't just the "first step" for any of your paranoid theories, current reader.
Yeah, right. the rapelay case was according to the wish of the "majority of people".
And google won't invade your privacy because... you know... the invisible hand will stop them magically with it's super powers. Remember, that's how the market is regulated !
Any company will invade privacy if it benefits them at the end, thanks to capitalism.
Google took out the image of the girls flashing. It says that "image is not available" lol
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=18830+May+St,+Homewood,+Cook,+Illinois+60430&ie=UTF8&ct=clnk&cd=1&geocode=Fcf2eQIdqK7G-g&split=0&vps=1&output=js&jsv=158b&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033 [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=18830 May St, Homewood, Cook, Illinois 60430&ie=UTF8&ct=clnk&cd=1&geocode=Fcf2eQIdqK7G-g&split=0&vps=1&output=js&jsv=158b&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033]
How exactly is this humiliating to Google?
Nothing hidden with google
man do you just copy paste other peoples articles?
"Privacy"?
Excuse me, but what's with all the rampant exhibitionism that's depicted on this blog? :D
It's because the otakus must show people how Japan is superior to an American enterprise.
This kind of thing doesn't personally bother me... but how do Google get away with it? I swear this kind of photography must violate some kind of law...
"technology which in a few iterations will enable ubiquitous real-time monitoring of anyone visible from a public space."
You mean 'cars with a camera on them' will somehow evolve into 'pervasive invisible floating camera drones with unlimited endurance and bandwidth'? Because I think the technology has a bit further to go then 'a few iterations'.
Somebody has never heard of security cameras I see.
Which is similar to Street View how? ...the article made it sound like you could use Google's technology to monitor people, which is far from any sort of truth.
Someone riding a bike? Lower the scale a little.... they can tell if someone is smoking a cigarette or a doobie, that is how clear and accurate they are.
That is, on a sunny day without any clouds between you and the satellite. Pretty much inconceivable where I used to live.
The bike thing was the last one I was aware of, didn't know that they'd refined it even further. Thanks for the info. :)
I do believe he was referring to the general principle behind the technology as opposed to the current status of the technology.
Besides, isn't that floating camera drone thing something from the Truman show, or whatever that movie was called, with Jim Carrey?
And on a side note, it's not fully inconceivable, if Google were to switch over to UAVS. A fairly common one, the RQ-4 Global Hawk has an on station endurance of 36 hours. DARPA is working on Vulture, which is supposed to remain airborne for 5 years.
Current record is held by the QinetiQ Zephyr Solar Electric at 82 hours 37 minutes.
And that also ignores the possibility of utilizing satellites for this, as SpySats are already capable of taking pictures accurate enough to be able to pick up someone riding a bicycle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-circuit_television#Crime_prevention_and_prevalence_in_the_UK
Big Brother is watching joo.
I never know i can try that in my neighborhood.
The babe all over the world that you could choose.
I guess I must be a hermit if I've never even heard of this service before.
I know they do grainy satellite shots, but "Street View"?
I assume these cameras are ground on planet Earth, and not actually a live satellite feed?
I'd Google to find this out for myself... but... oh bah like boycotting Google of all entities would really get anyone anywhere. *googles*
I can't help but wonder how exactly they're profiting in such a venture, or what their original intentions were with it...
Perhaps they wish to monitor the entire planet in crystal clarity one day, and that's the truth behind their "Do no evil" slogan.
"Do no evil, because Santa will know whenever you've been naughty or nice".
I don't see why you would have to profit from everything, still it's great marketing.
I'd also guess that it's not free for business to be added to the map.
Google don't do any satellite shots. They buy the images from various different organizations and companies, which also include photos taken from airplanes and helicopters.
lolz I remember last weeks, when me and my friends spent our entire ICT class and Lunch Break looking through Japan with Google Earth XD
ICT class? woot. comrade.
Yay for ICT Classes!
people actually use google earth?
in their free time? o_o
gotta try that
I'm quite shocked, I honestly believed you were older, Icy-nee-san.
As soon as I read "lowered 40cm" I immediately thought "Oh god, upskirts please?"
They just got caned in Greece too. An outright ban until Google can provide "additional privacy guarantees".
There isn't any privacy protection OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME! How many times are we going to have to say that: in most, if not ALL, countries if you are outside of your home...... no expectation to privacy and if you have a window open, no expectation of privacy is allowed.
You missed the point of the article, I see.
lol, good old hypocrisy at work. They're happy to lap up trashy magazines like Friday that destroy the lives of celebrities to make sales, yet can't hack their own house being shown on the internet...
The UK has this problem already ne~?
take your wapanese somewhere else
uhhh.... this is sankaku.
this is wapan.
Yeah, they accidentally showed over the tops of a walled army training camp and all manner of other things.
Oh, and if people do not want to be spotted doing indecent acts (referring to the cheating husband, not the residents), they shouldn't be doing them in the first place...
Though they should really consider a more effective way to ensure privacy of the people...
Privacy brother,,,heheee
Speed Limit - 25
Your Speed - 31
Epic.
When Children are present. If there are no children around waiting to cross the road, then the normally posted speed limit applies (probably 35, if it's a large residential street, would be my guess).
Usually such speed-limits are enforced just in case a child would get the superb idea of just running out into the street...
Oh well, Darwinism FTW!
Who drives 25 mph nowadays? And that pic looks awful familiar...
It's a school zone. If you're driving anymore than 25 MPH in a school zone, I will personally kick your ass.
All I hear is BAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. If someone cheating on their spouse is exposed by this technology, then I see nothing wrong with that.
And how arrogant do you have to be to assume there are people out there deliberately spying on you? No, your life is fucking boring, unless you are a celebrity or something similar, people are just going to skim right past your house, and the thousands of other ones that look exactly the same as it.
Ugh, I have no idea why this was placed here, pressed the Post Comment button at the very bottom. Didn't mean this to be a reply to above, I guess the computers are attacking now.
I agree with the before last Anon. Truth has been told. Who cares about some random strangers anyways?
Come and kick mine then, because I have driven more than 25 MPH in a school zone MANY times.... the fact is that those '25mph' are ONLY enforced when school is coming in or letting out... not at any other times during the day in most places.
LOL fail
needs to uplaudet to failblo.com