Opinion, please: Google Street View

Local, Technology and Gadgets 1 Minute

Hampton Roads is one of 37 new areas being added to Google’s Street View. Go here, punch in an address and you are presented with a picture of that address. Not only that, you can have a virtual tour of the neighborhood, using the navigation buttons.

My own home is mostly obscured but others in my neighborhood are not. I can clearly read the yard signs, as it appears that these photos were taken sometime last fall, prior to the November election.

So what do you think? Is this a privacy violation? Or is it just cool to “walk” through a neighborhood?

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21 thoughts on “Opinion, please: Google Street View”

  1. MB has hit this one on the button. Privacy by obscurity was never a good solution, and as technology advances more and more cracks are showing in that model of privacy every day. Privacy by design is a far better solution – giving us control over what our information is used for. Street View seems to do this pretty well – they’re blurring faces, and it’s easy to request to have your image / house etc removed (click on the help button at the top right). So I don’t see what the concern is here.

  2. Our set of condos is completely obstructive. However, my neighbors in houses are very visable.
    When I clicked on the beach view, I could see our boat. Very cool!

  3. The image was too blurred to read license plate numbers in our driveway. That’s a good sign, at least.

    And speaking of good signs, I wouldn’t have minded keeping that big Northam sign in the yard.

  4. I agree with MB on this. There is no “legal” issue. But I do believe there is a societal, or “good neighbor” issues.

    I have a fairly unique concern however. Safety.

    Normally, I park my police car curbside when I am at home. On the particular day Google came through, it was in my driveway.

    So now, nearly everyone in the world can assume that a police officer lives at that particular address.

    No, I’m not paranoid. Just cognizant of the fact that it could create issues.

    Fortunately, I’ve moved since Google came a snappin’. 🙂

  5. That’s nothing, Scott. You know what was parked outside my house when the Google Maps shot was taken? A FORD TAURUS. That’s right, any person on the internets with my address will be under the impression that I drive a Ford.

    Honestly, I don’t think I can even talk about this anymore.

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