Google Street View Creates Problems in Japan

[Dave K]

[citation][nom]piper5177[/nom]Law regarding photography allows pictures to be taken of private properties and people from public property. The only time you need a release is if the photo is being sold for profit. Google is not "selling" the images.[/citation]

Not entirely true even of people taking pictures of public spaces... head down to your local public school and start shooting pictures of the kids, see how long it takes to get arrested.

There are limits to most things and the debate here is more about where to draw the limit. Most of us think blurry google photo's of our homes is no big deal... but what if they stated driving around with high res imagers that could see through inadvertently open windows into bathrooms and bedrooms? Would that still be ok?

There SHOULD be a limit on the ability of a person to access the private information of someone else (including images of their private spaces)... I can't say I know exactly where that limit should BE, but I think dismissing it out of hand indicates a superficial understanding of the issues.

 

[tmike]

private spaces should be private. but google doesn't really seem to give a rat's... they could have easily gotten rid of earlier protests regarding inclusion of people simply by taking more than one picture at each spot. in all but the most crowded spaces, two pix is enough to obtain an unobstructed view, sans people. that's how i do some of my vacation pix... not a person in sight even when taken during a busy day

 

[Mr_Man]

Tom's... I don't think you need to ask for our comments. I'm pretty sure we'll give them, anyway. Might as well save yourself the cred of not being annoying.

 

[-unknown-]

"Back in April, UK residents in one small village formed a human chain and blocked the driver of a Google Street View, saying the service was 'facilitating crime.'"

Google making it easier for individuals to commit a crime by providing a free information platform? Sounds awfully familiar...
(clearly, I'm being facetious)

 

[The Schnoz]

I don't see what the big deal is. Street View gives you exactly that, a view of what things would look like if you were walking down the street on the particular day and time. It's perfectly legal to take pictures on public property and Google, in my opinion, has been very kind with removing photos and blurring out faces. I find Street View to be a very useful tool when looking for a new place (I can view the neighborhood without driving there to see if it's worth my time) as well as a cool way to see what other countries look like. It can even be nostalgic to see my old neighborhood in California. I don't use Google, I use Yahoo, so I'm not a Google fanatic, in fact I'm worried they have too much power, but I think Street View is an ingenious idea that does more good than harm. Besides, I love the candid pictures of people caught in the act of peeing in public or falling off their bike. Classic.

 

[The Schnoz]

Oh, BTW, I should add I understand the complaint made in Japan and I think that it's valid, I was just generalizing about peoples fears with Street View.

 

[-unknown-]

[citation][nom]Dave K[/nom]Not entirely true even of people taking pictures of public spaces... head down to your local public school and start shooting pictures of the kids, see how long it takes to get arrested. There are limits to most things and the debate here is more about where to draw the limit. Most of us think blurry google photo's of our homes is no big deal... but what if they stated driving around with high res imagers that could see through inadvertently open windows into bathrooms and bedrooms? Would that still be ok? There SHOULD be a limit on the ability of a person to access the private information of someone else (including images of their private spaces)... I can't say I know exactly where that limit should BE, but I think dismissing it out of hand indicates a superficial understanding of the issues.[/citation]
Agreed.

I'm not sure why google is so determined not to amend their plans for street view but I believe a 'corner' street view (aimed towards the road) would be a more useful tool as that is what most people see when they are driving down the road. Street view appears most useful to me for landmarks (ie downtown cores, monuments, etc) but I guess we'll see how it evolves.

I do feel that the issue is being blown out of proportion all the while legitimate concerns are being ignored.

 

[MoUsE-WiZ]

I'm going to construct a tinfoil hat for my house.

 

[piper5177]

http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

Simple outline of photo law.

You will not get arrested for taking pictures at a public school, you may have to answer some questions, but arrested? No.

 

[piper5177]

http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

 

[piper5177]

How come my link isn't showing up?

 

[piper5177]

http/www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

cut and paste

and can the above blank and question be deleted?

 

[Guest]

i remember the guy fallen from the bicycle was taken in Australia?

 

[jecht]

[citation][nom]truerock[/nom]I've read stories about native Americans in the 18 hundreds who did not like to have their photographs taken. I guess people in England, Japan and Italy think like that.[/citation]

Lol that was because of superstition, they thought having a photo taken of them would steal their soul or something like that. This is just concerns about privacy. The people in Japan were definitely in the right about this, and it was almost certainly just an honest mistake/oversight on Google's part. Those people in Europe were just being really paranoid though. I mean, seriously, looking up addresses on Street View is a really crappy way to prepare for a crime. Who knows how old those pictures are or what goes on during the other 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds a day that picture DOESN'T show? If someone wants to break into your house they're going to stake it out in person, not on the internet. And privacy? Oh no, they can see your house...so does everyone who walks or drives down your street...there's a reason your house is made of bricks and not glass...

 

[joebob2000]

[citation][nom]Jangocat[/nom]I don't know anyone who would approve of strangers taking pictures of their house and posting on the internet. This thing should be eliminated.[/citation]

LOL Tell that to my county auditor. Pictures of EVERY SINGLE HOME in the county are on the internet easily searched by name, address, etc. This isn't a small place, either; we have about 500,000 homes and guess how many people have said "oh god pictures of my house are on the interwebs!"... let's see, none.

I hope this is some sort of troll; if you are really this ignorant of what is already happening I can only fear for you and your loved ones.

 

[IzzyCraft]

Really what what you doing that you are so ashmed of that you need to worry about about a street shot photo to your house that any trucker could see.

You know they make cutrins for a reason.

Obv google isn't going around taking pictures of people they are taking pictures of the road and houses and things just so happen to get in the way.

 

[Dave K]

[citation][nom]piper5177[/nom]Simple outline of photo law.You will not get arrested for taking pictures at a public school, you may have to answer some questions, but arrested? No.[/citation]

Well photo law doesn't seem to keep people from getting arrested for taking photo's of kids at school. Sure if you're a parent taking a pic of your kid at track you're not going to have a problem, but if you're loitering around taking shots of kids you don't know outside a proper context (basketball players at a game for instance) then you're going to get in trouble... and rightly so:

http/www.google.com/search?q=man+arrested+photographing+children+at+school&hl=en&safe=active&start=10&sa=N

If you're sitting in your car taking pictures in someones windows with a high zoom lens you're going to get arrested.

The law is obviously unclear... but apparently police are finding ways of getting at people for these behaviors. Perhaps they're applying something like a Peeping Tom law... I'm not sure how they're doing it but they're finding a way.

The issue with Google is that it opens the POTENTIAL for someone to use those images for a behavior that would be illegal if they did it live in person. If a convicted sex offender was aprehended driving by your home taking pictures of your kid riding her bike in your driveway... that person WOULD be arrested - yet Google can capture that exact same image and make it available to EVERYONE to access in an essential untraceable manner.

I think currently that image quality is crappy enough that it's not such a big dea... but it won't stay that way. That's why this debate is important and needs to take place.

 

[alaskan_handyman]

I think google should first fix the accuracy of their maps before getting too deep into reshooting street level photographs. Here in Homer Alaska they have streets showing on the maps where there are none, the average address is more than a block off and the hybrid satellite imagery does not line up with the map data.

 

[crisisavatar]

YOU ARE NOT THAT SPECIAL, NINJAS DON'T CARE ABOUT ASSAULTING YOUR HOUSE. No seriously people are being really stupid about this is ridiculous, btw google take another picture of my house we painted it again !

 

[Startingline13]

People have entirely too much time and paranoia on their hands if they can make a fuss about this. God forbid someone sees an old photo of your home. People to use it to.....*gasp* rob your home! That is clearly a concern of mine. I am afraid that someone will see a photo of my home from google street view, then know that I have four windows, and a door. Whatever will I do?

/Sarcasm off