244,000 Germans opt out of Google Street View

October 21, 2010 By Jeffrey Van Camp

Google is making 244,000 German households "unrecognizable" in its Street View feature on Google Maps after requests from authorities.

Germans want their privacy and the Google abides. In a statement today, the search giant said it is blurring out more than 244,000 households from its Street View feature on Google Maps before the service launches in the country next month. Google estimates that about three percent of households in Germany’s 20 largest cities have opted out. Before it could launch Street View in the country, German authorities demanded Google allow citizens the opportunity to be removed from the service.

“The high number of objections to Google Street View shows that citizens want to decide which data about themselves is published on the Internet,” said Peter Schaar, the head of Germany’s data protection watchdog.

Google will also provide a tool allowing citizens to request certain images to be made “unrecognizable.” Street View is currently available in 23 countries, though Germany is the only country where individuals could opt out of the feature before it launches.

Wi-Fi woes

Street View is causing a lot of headaches over at Google. The company got in trouble earlier this year when it was discovered that its Street View camera-vans were collecting Wi-Fi data from individuals, which sometimes included personal information and passwords. The company insists that the data was only used to determine location, but has ceased the practice after outrage in Canada and Germany. Germans were especially furious about it, as they are at Facebook for privacy related issues.

Showing 3 comments

Mark at 12:57pm 22nd October 2010 Hmmm... I'll argue the other side of the coin and <yikes> propose that Google's street view is *not* an invasion of privacy. Here goes... If something is visible from the street, it is out in the public. In America (I can't speak for German law) in general, we are allowed to take a photograph of anything in public view and publish it to a newspaper, etc. No photographic release consent form is required. People walking or driving down the street are allowed to look around at will. No privacy breach there, and they're not required to wear blinders :) So now Google comes along and automates/computerizes things. Other than much broader access, what has changed? Could it be a potential tool for criminals? I doubt it. (And if they do use it for planning, then there will undoubtedly be an electronic trail that could eventually be used as evidence against them.) My advice: Just chill. It's not a big deal.
Terada at 8:46am 21st October 2010 Kudos to the Germans that opted out. I wonder what it would look like to use the German street view with half of the houses blurred out. I can understand why they would want to blur their house. Imagine a robber using street view to plan a break in and get away. If you have a family or things to protect, I'm pretty sure you would want to prevent this by opting out. Besides, people can still look up your street address and guess what your house looks like. Is this option available anywhere else? If it is, would any of you considering opting out your house?
1. common sense at 12:56pm 22nd October 2010 they can drive by your house and see more than what they can see in street view. Maybe buy a big curtain to put up in front of your house so no one can see it.