Right: Google images such as this one have fuelled the controversy around the "street view" project. Background information
(The information below is largely drawn from Wikipedia's entry on Street View. The full text of this article can be read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Street_View)Google Street View displays photos that were previously taken by a camera mounted on a car, and can be navigated using either the arrow keys on the keyboard or by using a mouse to click on arrows displayed on the screen. Using these devices, the photos can be viewed in different sizes, from any direction, and from a variety of angles. Lines that are displayed along the street that is shown indicate the direction followed by that street view camera car.
Google Street View was first introduced in the United States on May 25, 2007, and currently features 58 camera icon markers on the U.S. map, each representing at least one major U.S. city or area (such as a park), and usually the other nearby cities, towns, suburbs, and parks. Additionally, many major U.S. cities now have street view coverage without an icon. In all, with the extensions now reaching quite far beyond these major cities, views can now be seen in parts of all but six U.S. states (Hawaii, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia).
On July 2, 2008, Google Street View was introduced in France and Italy, providing the first service outside the United States. On this day, 19 camera icons were added, mostly showing small towns and areas along the Tour de France route and part of north western Italy
On August 5, 2008, Australia and Japan were added to Google Street View. On this day, 28 icons were added, featuring major metropolitan areas of Japan as well as the bulk of Australia. Included in the update were approximately 40 new U.S. hub cities.
Privacy concerns
Privacy advocates have objected to Google Street View. Images have been reproduced of men leaving strip clubs, protesters at an abortion clinic, sunbathers in bikinis and males picking up prostitutes . In addition, people engaging in private activities within their own homes that were visible from public property have also been photographed.
Before launching the service, Google removed photos of domestic violence shelters, and allows users to flag inappropriate or sensitive imagery for Google to review and remove. Under increasing demand and in response to privacy concerns, Google has streamlined the process whereby images can be flagged and then removed from Google Street View.
In Europe, the creation of Google Street View may not be legal in all places. While the laws vary from country to country, many countries in Europe have laws prohibiting the filming of an individual on public property for the purpose of public display without that person's expressed consent.
One of Google's remedies to the concerns over privacy laws outside the United States has been a pledge to blur faces of people who are filmed. Google began blurring faces on 13 May 2008. Most of the images published since then, including the first launch of images in Europe on 2 June 2008, have had the faces blurred.
In 2007, Google pledged not to identify faces or number plates in Australia. However, as of August 2008, it was still possible to view both.
Google has delayed the release of its street views of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area out of concern from the United States Department of Homeland Security that some of the images taken may be of security-sensitive areas.
The Pentagon has banned Google from publishing Street View content of U.S. military bases and asked Google to remove existing content of bases (to which Google has complied).
Aaron and Christine Boring, a Pittsburgh couple sued Google for "invasion of privacy". They claimed that Street View made a photo of their home available online, and it diminished the value of their house, which was purchased for its privacy.
Some cities in the United States where all streets are privately owned have asked Google to remove Street View images because their consent was not given.