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Big Brother: The Google cars that will photograph EVERY front door in Britain
Last updated at 17:00pm on 11.07.08
The Google Earth spy car takes images of individual streets for inclusion on the StreetView website
Plans by Google to photograph millions of British homes and publish them online have been condemned as a 'gross invasion of privacy'.
The internet giant's StreetView website will allow anyone in the world to type in a UK address or postcode and instantly see a 360-degree picture of the street.
It will include close-ups of buildings, cars and people. Critics say the site is a 'burglar's charter' that makes it easy for criminals to check out potential victims.
The pictures also show people leaving and entering hospitals, health clinics, adult shops and hotels. Although their faces are deliberately blurred, many could still be recognised by their clothing and hair colour.
The site was launched in major American cities last year.
Google has confirmed it is now in the process of photographing Britain as part of the Street View project.
Cars emblazoned with the company's logo and carrying massive 360-degree cameras have been spotted circling the streets of British cities in recent weeks.
The data watchdog, the Information Commissioner's office, is so concerned about StreetView that it has written to Google demanding privacy guarantees.
A Google spokeswoman said: 'Google works hard to make sure that our products respect both users' expectations of privacy, and local privacy laws, in each country in which they are launched. Google Maps Street View is no exception.'
StreetView is designed to complement Google Earth, a collection of satellite pictures that covers every square mile of the globe.
Google Earth has come under fire for the level of detail in its overhead pictures, which have become enormously popular.
The pictures don't just show which homes have swimming pools or tennis courts, they can reveal the model and colour of cars, whether gardens have furniture and even sunbathers lying outside.
Critics say the site can be used by burglars planning escape routes from homes and by terrorists looking for military bases.
The site has even been used by teenagers arranging unauthorised swimming parties in unoccupied homes.
Users of the new StreetView website can either browse maps of towns before clicking on a street view, or type in an address or postcode.
By clicking on arrows on the screen, users will feel like they are walking down the street and will be able to look right, left or behind them during their virtual tour.
The images show which homes belong to wealthy owners, which have easy access for burglars, which have expensive cars parked outside and which have alarm boxes.
And although the pictures are not 'live' - they will be updated once every few years - the website has also raised concerns about people photographed by the roving cameras.
In America, its launch has provoked complaints about intrusions into privacy.
One image, since removed, showed a woman accidentally exposing her underwear as she got out of a car in an American city street. The scene was captured by a passing camera car and posted online without her permission.
Other StreetViews show two men gazing at a woman as she bends over in the street, a man apparently entering an adult book store, a man apparently scaling a security fence, and two women sunbathing on the lawn of Stanford University campus.
Internet experts in America are waiting for the first high-profile lawsuit from someone photographed in a compromising or embarrassing position.
The Information Commissioner's Office said Google would have to avoid showing people's faces. A spokesman said: 'There is a risk that StreetView could identify individuals alongside their place of work or places they are visiting.
'In most instances this will not have a serious impact on people's privacy, however identifying an individual outside some premises, for instance health clinics and hospitals, could raise serious privacy issues.
'For this reason we would expect Google to take measures to ensure privacy rights are not infringed, for example blurring all images of individuals to ensure privacy rights are maintained. We are contacting Google to discuss the issue in further detail.'
The campaign group Privacy International warned that the website could be a massive invasion of privacy. It is to lodge a formal complaint with Google unless the company can guarantee that number plates and faces will be blurred.
Director Simon Davies said: 'Google has made similar privacy assurances in the past and nothing has come of them.'
Paul Gilbert, a media lawyer at London law firm Finers Stephens Innocent, said taking pictures at street level and joining them up to create a map did not breach privacy laws in the UK.
'However, if the pictures captured the inside of a person's house by taking a photograph through the window, then the homeowner may be justified in claiming a breach of privacy,' he said.
Google makes money from its websites through advertising.
It believes StreetView will be popular with tourists picking holiday destinations, housebuyers wanting to explore neighbourhoods, and shoppers trying to find stores.
It wants to encourage businesses to include links to the site on their own homepages.
Google said all faces were blurred automatically by its software, but refused to say whether number plates would also be disguised.
A spokesman said: 'We will not launch in UK until we are comfortable StreetView complies with local law, including law relating to the display of images of individuals. We will use technology, like face-blurring, and operational controls, such as image removal tools, so StreetView remains useful and in keeping with local norms wherever it is available.'
Anyone who thinks their face is recognisable can email Google and ask to have the image disguised, he said.
In Britain, anyone is allowed to take a picture of a house or a street and put it on the Internet. But if some pictures show the inside of someone's house, even inadvertently, then homeowners could show their privacy has been breached under common law.
Similarly, we are legally entitled to take pictures of people, even complete strangers, and post them on the Internet. But if a man is photographed walking past an adult store - but not going in - giving the wrong impression that he is a customer, then the image could defame his character.
Reader views (24)
Google works hard to ensure our products respect, etc. Google doesn't work hard at anything except increasing revenues, whether it invades peoples privacy or not. They should be stopped, they are the Tesco of the internet.
- Robin, London, UK
Where is the Government?
- Abdullah, London
This is the same Google that the US courts have just insisted release all worldwide personal data held by them relating to to YouTube. How long before all of this information is linked by Google and misused by Google or other company/government that has won the right to the information from Google.
- Andy, London
As Google doing this this in order to make money, then surely each homeowner should receive a payment each time that their home is viewed on the internet.
- Casper Slides, Ibiza, Spain
'Critics say the site can be used by burglars planning escape routes from homes and by terrorists looking for military bases. ' that is hilarious! I suggest these critics get themselves down to a mental health clinic - they're clearly suffering paranoia. if burglars want to plan an escape route im sure they could do that with out this - if they arent just druggies that cant use the net. As for the terrorist line - that's ridiculous.
- Jules, London Village Cricket Club
Brilliant, everyone is on here complaining about privacy...but what about directing that anger at your own government...because they are ones destroying civil liberties...not Google.
- Daveb, london
I do not want Google photographing my front door thank you very much. I believe they blur images of certain properties so there should be an opt-out option on their web site. In an ideal world it should be opt-in!
They should pay every household in the UK a royalty fee.
- Jonathan, London, United Kingdom
Why should I be worried about an online view of my street, that will soon be out of date, that anyone can see right up to date just by going there? It's a random snapshot, not live CCTV. It'll make house-hunting easier, and that's about all.
Certainly there's a tiny risk of an embarrassing photo of a person being accidentally caught, but that's the same as the risk of ending up in the background on a TV show or advert, or even ending up on "It'll be alright on the night" complete with a red circle to cue viewers in to what they should be guffawing at!
Get real, people. The view of your street is public property and always has been.
- Nigel, London
Anyone know where the Google server is? If so please switch off the power and unplug it.
- Paul Humphreys, Essex
I really don't know what the problem/fuss is here. These photos are of great use when I visit Florida as I can pre-recognise the buildings and roads nearby if I have to go to an address there.
Well done Google.
- Paul, london
Forget government and local councils, this must be a great tool for burglars, car thieves and other criminals who now have a way to surf a neighbourhood looking for potential targets without drawing attention to themselves.
- Delboy, London
What is the problem here? You can obtain the same information by walking down a street and then the faces of people aren't blurred out! What is everyone so afraid of?
- Ag, The Village of London
Can anyone explain to me how one photograph taken of a residential house once, is going to be used by stalkers, psychos, burglars and terrorists?
Google aren't planning to issue photographs of sensitive defence sites, nor are they planning to issue a live feed so that people's movements can be tracked hour by hour. If they were, that WOULD be something to get upset about.
I have yet to come across a case in which a psycho or a burglar carefully looked up a picture of a house on the internet in order to do something criminal there. The premise is ridiculous. Unfortunately they are able to find victims all around them, close at hand, just by looking.
I think the UK must be in the grip of hysterical paranoia, it's bird flu all over again.
- Smj, London, uk
Big Brother is alive and well! Isn't anyone else scared by Googles world domination?
- Natty, London
Please please - can people get away from their computers and go out and live a little.
- Jc, se1
My local authority, Borough of Camden, paid several million pounds to a Dutch company to do this exact same thing a few years ago. Apparently, they now have a database of photographs of every single front of every single house and flat in Camden. Except they missed out myself and my neighbours as we live in maisonettes above flats. I imagine other boroughs have already done it too. What concerns me is when there are errors / omissions (as happens on a high level in the civil services).
- Real, London
This is a dangerous idea.
- Martin, Telford England
The general public don't have great iron gates on the end of the street like Downing Street, there should be a law on this action from Google.
Computers may be a great learning tool, but in the wrong hands it can be evil.
This idea in my view is a step to far and I ask do we need it?
It seems to me that this filming of streets is a gift to councils, the Government and to bailiffs and the like.
In the age of the electronic EYES all over the place I think this project from Google should be shelved.
Finally,
I say to Mr David Davis M.P. now chase this just like the last great stance you took in which I think you were right.
Talk about big brother get lost Google this is going to far.
- John L., Scarborough N.Yks U.K.
Anyone who catches sight of that monstosity has my permission to take a big shovel and smash the thing to pieces.
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE .
Grow up everyone! Google Earth has been around for a while and a lot of people use it. Where on earth do people think the images come from?
- Hughie, Surrey, UK
Funnily enough if you're a train spotter, like to take pictures of birds, buses, interesting architecture, you will get serious amounts of grief from various busy-bodies, yet this is allowed completely unchallenged?
What has Google done to deserve such leniency? Is it because they're a large American corporation, and like some giant panopticon they provide high quality feeds to the American security services?
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
If there is no law on this, then one should be passed.
What on earth is going on and this is one more EYE on the general public we don't want.
To Google there is one street you will not film and that is
Downing Street why?
Because Maggie Thatcher had big black iron gates fitted at the start of the street with armed police, we all can't have that although we would like to have something in place to stop this snooping because that is what it is, and what a tool to many many People including Councils and Government, bailiffs and the rest stop it now in its tracks.
- John L., Scarborough N.Yks U.K.
This is a step too far by Google and we must protest against it in the strongest manner.
- Vince London, West London
So Google are going to make it easier for stalkers, great. Its bad enough changing your number when some wierdo gets a hold of it, what we supposed to do next, move house? I don't think so Google, this ones a step too far, maybe a good idea in theory but have you considered the number of psychos in the world!?
- Rebecca Harford, bradford, uk
