On Oct 7 2009 Google launched their new application called Google Street View. This application allows people to search addresses and view from street level, photographs that were taken of the area, Google decided to drive around selected cities with vans that had a 360 degree view video camera attached to the top. When completed, they compiled all these images to create one large 360 degree photographic map.
Although this is very exciting technology - there are a lot of issues at stake. Take a moment and look up your personal address. What do you see? Is there a photograph of you online that was taken without your permission? If you are in a public space - does your likeness become a public domain? What kind of privacy laws are being broken? Do you agree or disagree with what google has done? Google claims to be protecting your privacy by blurring out the faces on people and the numbers on license plates. Do you think that this really helps to deal with the privacy concerns that many will have if they see their likeness online? Tell us what you think of the new Google Street View - do you agree or disagree with what they are doing?
