How to Proceed When International Laws Hinder Growth
Canada.com listed a few images from Google's Street View (which shows actual images of streets), but its shots are a lot more invasive than Mashable's selection of "funny, weird or even sexy things" spotted on the site. It looks the Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has reason to be concerned that the feature will violate Canada's privacy laws. Commissioner Stoddart explained Street View's dangers in a letter to Myles McGovern, CEO of Immersive Media (the Calgary-based company that takes many of Street View's photographs):
"Many of the images are of sufficient resolution and close enough to allow individuals to be identified, to discern what activities they are engaged in and to situate their geographic whereabouts."Stoddart also suggested it's not sufficient to allow people to request their removal from the site. According to the Wired Blog Network, its also not easy. Google requires you provide your name, email address, the street view address of the image you'd like removed, a signed sworn statement reading, "I declare, under the penalty of perjury, that the information in this notification is accurate," a copy of a photo ID, and a verification form. Google spokesperson Wendy Rozeluk defended the service, saying,
"This imagery is no different from what any person can readily capture or see walking down the street. Imagery of this kind is available in a wide variety of formats for cities all around the world."As the blogger at IP Democracy pointed out:
That's true. The images may not be any different from what you or I might capture if we roamed city streets with a high-speed rotating camera. But how many people do this or have ever done this? It's one thing to take random snapshots in public places but it's a whole different kettle of fish when a big company systematically creates a detailed photographic record of public place activities and makes it widely available on a mass scale.Perhaps Google will strike a deal with Canada to do something like Microsoft's done (blurring certain images for security purposes.) But just how popular would Street View be if you couldn't look for people you know picking their noses, entering porn shops, or leaving seedy hotels right after lunch?
(Google Street View Image by NOTICIAS-TIC)