Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) added a feature to its Google Maps called Street View which is making some people ask the question: How private is private? Street View offers panoramic views of miles of streets around San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Miami and Denver.
Here are some examples of pictures that make people nervous:
- Two young women sunbathing in their bikinis on the Stanford campus in Palo Alto, CA.
- A man scaling the front gate of an apartment building in San Francisco.
- An apartment building in Oakland, CA with a picture of a couple's cat, sitting on a perch in the living room window of their second-floor apartment.
- A man standing in front of a lap dance establishment in San Francisco, CA
- A man entering a pornographic bookstore in Oakland, CA.
- Cars whose license plates are clearly readable.
Google says that people can opt out of Street View. To help with that process, I suggest Google offer an image search tool that will let people pop their picture into the search box to see whether it appears in Street View.
Do you think Google's opt out policy makes Street View acceptable?
Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in Google.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-01-2007 @ 3:55PM
Fred said...
Peeping Tom all right....Take a look at this huge list of "peeps"
http://www.laudontech.com/StreetView/streetview.html
6-06-2007 @ 2:14PM
joedan said...
i think street view is great for finding places keep the good work up "google" and try and get it on the market.
6-02-2007 @ 11:02AM
GeoTrotter said...
I added here the best Google Street View.
6-02-2007 @ 11:03AM
GeoTrotter said...
I added all the best "Google Street View" here : http://www.geo-trotter.com/cat-street-view.php.
6-04-2007 @ 2:19PM
YNot said...
Here is another site that has a large selection of StreetView finds:
http://www.mapmole.com
6-05-2007 @ 7:28AM
GeoTrotter said...
I added here the best Google Street View.
6-05-2007 @ 7:38AM
GeoTrotter said...
I added all the best "Google Street View" here : http://www.geo-trotter.com/cat-street-view.php.
6-08-2007 @ 3:44AM
mohan said...
I wounder what street view we will get if Google trys this in India? I am sure we don't have to wait for long when we will get "live" street shots. That will be the ultimate!
6-15-2007 @ 4:45PM
Brian Combs said...
To me, the issue with Google Street View are most about the Right of Publicity than the Right to Privacy. See my thoughts on my blog: http://www.apogee-search.com/Blog/?p=488
8-08-2007 @ 10:15AM
geotrotter said...
I added here some amazing Street View from the last update (08/2007).
8-08-2007 @ 10:34AM
geotrotter said...
I added here the most amazing Street View from the last update (08/2007): http://www.geo-trotter.com/cat-street-view.php