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Google Street View – My Take
March 22nd, 2009
This Independent on Sunday article talks about (read: scaremongers) the ‘privacy concerns’ around Google Street View. It seems from the comments on the page that I’m not the only person who’s confused with this.
Firstly I really don’t understand the privacy issues involved that people keep talking about. Google simply drove around a number of public streets around the UK and took a load of still shots. This was about six months ago. Anyone could do it. But because it’s Google everyone jumps on the “evil huge corporations are taking over the world” bandwagon.
I’m a Google fan. The products they produce are useful, fun, easy to use and help to make my online life easier. I can access my Google Mail account and Google Calendar from my T-Mobile G1 and my iGoogle page keeps all of my fun and useful apps in one place. If I want to have a look for something entertaining to watch I can visit YouTube and then go to my Blogger account to discuss it in detail. Of course if I’m really desperate I suppose I can also use it to search, but that’s only at a push! ;-P In short they deliver everything I ask of them. They have a clearPrivacy Policy and have never (to my knowledge) broken this with me.
Compare this with the UK Government who have decided, against my wishes, to introduce an identity card that contains around 50 pieces of data about me. I wasn’t asked to agree to this. I wasn’t given the option of using a different organisation for my identity needs. I (like every other person who lives in the UK) have been told that this will happen. The card will contain my fingerprints and iris details (you know – the things I can’t change) and will be looked after by the same government that keeps people’s benefit details safe as well as laptops containing personal details. Yes, that’s just one laptop, but it seems that the plural is correct
I don’t mean this to be a soapbox, but I really think that, if people are going to cry out against privacy issues, they should cry out against actual infringements before they scream and shout and stamp their feet about a company taking some photos.
And yes, my house is on street viewer, my car’s parked outside my house and do you know what? I don’t care!
