Open Source Featured Article
December 19, 2008
Japanese Group Says Google Street View Violates Privacy Rights

By Michael Dinan
TMCnet Editor

Citing privacy concerns, a group of Japanese professors and lawyers reportedly is calling on the
Internet’s advertising and search leader to get rid of a service that gives users detailed street-level
images via satellite.



According to Reuters (News - Alert) reporter Yoko Kubota, the group – calling itself the Campaign
Against Surveillance Society – says that the “Street View” feature of Google Inc.’s Google Maps offering
violates rights to privacy.

Kubota reports that the group’s leader – Yasuhiko Tajima, a professor of constitutional law at Sophia
University in Tokyo – believes that Google’s (News - Alert) giving Web users the ability virtually to
drive down a street and look around, violates human rights.

“It is necessary to warn society that an IT giant is openly violating privacy rights, which are important
rights that the citizens have, through this service,” Kubota said.

When reached by TMCnet, a Google spokesperson referred to a company statement regarding privacy
on Street View.

According to the statement, Street View only features photographs that are taken on public property.


“Imagery of this kind is available in a wide variety of formats for cities all around the world,” the
statement reads. “We are committed to respecting local laws and norms in each country in which we
launch Street View.”

Here’s a screen shot of Google Street View, showing San Francisco’s Steiner Street:



This isn’t the first time that people have complained about perceived dangers in Google’s free,
satellite-based applications.

As tech news site TG Daily Managing Editor Wolfgang Gruener reported earlier this month, the
terrorists who attacked India’s Mumbai, formerly Bombay, killing nearly 200 citizens, apparently used
another free app, Google Earth, to memorize digital satellite images of the city in order to find their
targets and coordinate their attacks

“The police also learned that the terrorists relied on satellite phones and GPS equipment to navigate to
their targets,” Gruener reports.

Officials with security agencies in India, China and other nations have voiced concerns that Google
Earth exposes defense installations and unveils secret military installations, Gruener reports.

“Media also reported that protesters in London used Google Earth to plan how to get to the rooftop of
the Parliament building in London,” he said.

Complaints about Google Earth haven’t been limited to foreign nations.

In the United States, a woman was shown sunbathing on Google Earth, Reuters reports, and in another
a man was pictured exiting a strip club in San Francisco.

“In March, Google said it would comply with a Pentagon request to remove some online images from
Street View over fears they posed a security threat to U.S. military bases,” according to the news
service.

Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth
information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white
papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.

Michael Dinan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center
and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Michael’s articles, please visit his
columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan

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