Swiss latest to buck Google Street View

Jake Widman
Tuesday, 25 August 2009 23:58

Your IT - Home IT

In the latest European pushback against Google's Street View depictions of identifiable cars, houses, and people, Swiss officials have demanded the company take down any images from Switzerland. Google has promised to do something about it.

Over the weekend, a Street View image showing a member of the Swiss parliament walking with a woman drew media attention.

The parliamentarian, Ruedi Noser, identified the woman as his assistant but nevertheless demanded that Google immediately shut down Street View until it can guarantee people's privacy.

Noser was joined by Swiss federal data protection commissioner Hanspeter Thuer, who released a statement saying (in a translation by Associated Press), "Numerous faces and license numbers weren't blurred or were done so inadequately."

Thuer seconded Noser's demand "that Google immediately take its Google Street View online service off the Internet."

Google has previously run afoul of the Greek government, which last May forbade the cars that take Street View photos from the streets of Greek cities.

And that followed the incident in which English townsfolk formed a human chain to keep a Street View vehicle out of their village.

For its part, Google defended its practices, citing Street View's popularity with the Swiss people. Nevertheless, the company promised to work with Thuer to resolve the issue, touting its "industry-leading applications for protecting the private sphere."