Switzerland Becomes the Latest Country to Challenge Google Street View

Posted November 13, 2009 by Tamar Gubins

Google Street View is once again in hot water, this time from the Swiss authorities who say the panorama street view pictures violate Swiss privacy law.

We blogged about the serious privacy problems posed by the first iteration of Google Street View when the functionality went live a couple of years ago (here and here, for example).  And following public concern, Google made some improvements, including blurring faces and creating a process for individuals who want their images removed from the service.  

Despite these changes, the Swiss authorities say that is insufficient to protect Swiss privacy:

The agency said it objected to the fact that Street View cameras are mounted in the vans at a height of 2.75 meters, or about nine feet, so the images sometimes allow Internet users to see over walls and into backyards.

The agency also said Google had not been clear about the scope of its intentions for Street View . . . expand[ing] into quiet neighborhoods where it can be easy to identify people even if their faces are blurred.

Switzerland is only the latest country to challenge Street View.  Following German objections, Google agreed to erase footage containing identifying information of individuals who requested it, not merely blur the images in the publicly accessible files; Greece has halted further Street View expansion until it can further evaluate the project; and complaints in Japan caused Google to reshoot all Street View footage using shorter cameras, as the cameras at original height captured images on private property, over fences and walls. 

We hope that this latest challenge will encourage Google to take another look at Street View and put stronger protections in place to ensure that Street View doesn’t push privacy off the map.