Google Maps Street View
Privacy
How does Street View respect my privacy?
Street View – Google Privacy Tips
Yes. Street View only features photographs taken on public property and the imagery is no different from what a person can readily see or capture walking down the street. Imagery of this kind is available in a wide variety of formats for cities all around the world.
We are committed to respecting local laws and norms in each country in which we launch Street View. Blurring technology and operational controls like image removal are amongst the ways in which we ensure that an individuals’ privacy is respected. We make it easy for users to ask to have photographs of themselves, their children, their cars or their houses completely removed from the product, even where the images have already been blurred.
“Following publicity about vans collecting images of streets preparatory to the future launch of the Google Streetview service in UK, the ICO had a further meeting with Google to understand the steps they are taking to address privacy concerns. We are satisfied that Google is putting in place adequate safeguards to avoid any risk to the privacy or safety of individuals, including the blurring of vehicle registration marks and the faces of anyone included in Streetview images.
Although it is possible that in certain limited circumstances an image may allow the identification of an individual, it is clear that Google are keen to capture images of streets and not individuals. Further there is an easy mechanism by which individuals can report an image that causes them concern to Google and request that it is removed.
Images are not ‘real time’ and there is a delay between taking an image and its publication so that it could not be used to make decisions about an individual’s current whereabouts.”
Information Commissioner’s Office, UK
My image is in StreetView and I’d prefer it not to be. How do I get it taken down?
It’s very easy to remove images from Street View. If a user finds an image that they consider objectionable they can report it by clicking on ’Report a concern’ in the bottom left hand corner of the Street View image. Here there is an easily accessible link to report inappropriate imagery. Once the claim is verified, the image is removed.