Canada: Google's Street View Violates Privacy

The Street View feature of Google Maps, with its close-up views of city streets and recognizable shots of people, could violate a Canadian law protecting individual privacy, officials said on Wednesday.

Google Inc. introduced street-level map views in May, giving Web users a series of panoramic, 360-degree images of nine U.S. cities. Some of the random pictures feature people in informal poses who can clearly be identified.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[InofTouch]

01:38 PM on 09/13/2007

so pick your nose in public is protected...Cool, I do it more offten

[werenotgonnatakeit]

10:51 AM on 09/13/2007

I agree. It's downright creepy.

[johntal]

01:27 AM on 09/13/2007

it would really suck if we lived in a place where skipping school,hiding from your girlfriend for a day; long contemplative walks,(picking your nose?),
jaywalking, spitting (God forbid) and just generally believing that if mind our own business people won't mind ours.
There may very well be some good reasons for some surveillance methods , but I dislike the idea that any looky-loo with a pc can see what I'm up to

[MajorKong]

09:41 PM on 09/12/2007

That really wasn't me coming out of the adult book store in Vancouver.

[DemonicLaughterInc]

08:02 PM on 09/12/2007

A Canadian Apology

A truly Canadian Apology to the USA... Courtesy of Rick Mercer from This Hour Has 22 Minutes, CBC Television:

On behalf of Canadians everywhere I'd like to offer an apology to the United States of America. We haven't been getting along very well recently and for that, I am truly sorry. I'm sorry we called George Bush a moron. He is a moron but, it wasn't nice of us to point it out. If it's any consolation, the fact that he's a moron shouldn't reflect poorly on the people of America. After all it's not like you actually elected him.

I'm sorry about our softwood lumber. Just because we have more trees than you doesn't give us the right to sell you lumber that's cheaper and better than your own.

I'm sorry we beat you in Olympic hockey. In our defence I guess our excuse would be that our team was much, much, much, much better than yours. I'm sorry we burnt down your White House during the war of 1812. I notice you've rebuilt it! It's Very Nice.

I'm sorry about your beer. I know we had nothing to do with your beer but, we feel your pain.

I'm sorry about our waffling on Iraq. I mean, when you're going up against a crazed dictator, you want to have your friends by your side. I realize it took more than two years before you guys pitched in against Hitler, but that was different. Everyone knew he had weapons.

And finally on behalf of all Canadians, I'm sorry that we're constantly apologizing for things in a passive-aggressive way which is really a thinly veiled criticism. I sincerely hope that you're not upset over this. We've seen what you do to countries you get upset with.

[Exusian]

10:40 AM on 09/13/2007

That was one of Rick's better pieces. I really dislike his Talking To Americans schtick, though, since I never cared much for shooting fish in a barrel.

[RandyRanson]

07:02 PM on 09/12/2007

If Canada needs to place any cameras anywhere, they need to place them in all the places where Stephen Harper holds his private and secret meetings with Bush's boys and US Corporate interests, who have a North American Union takeover mindset. Remember Harper is no more than another Bush clone in Canadian clothing.
Google will I'm sure, soon be singing, 'STREET OF DREAMS' in future ads, an old broadway and film tune. 'I have often walked, down this street before...click, click, click. With a little thanks to all of those space engineers at NASA.

[Crozier]

07:20 PM on 09/12/2007

You mean the PMS - our menstrual annoyance.

Yes, you are right. The Alliance won a hijacking plot with the former Tories, and did to that party what the Dixiecrats did to the Republicans.

Harper has a minority government....meaning that he cannot pass any significant legislation without the support of two leftist parties and a separatist party that is quite libertarian where we are concerned. Minority governments are like gnats - they are annoying and last a season...a short season historically.

Here is a compliment. Bush and Harper are both more cunning than intelligent, and because he is younger, Harper is less predictable.

[eliandbo]

06:14 PM on 09/12/2007

On these streets, there should be no expectation of privacy!
Look at all those cameras in the UK,NYC and China.

[realitytrumpsbull]

06:04 PM on 09/12/2007

Don't you wish NASA would spend more money on that moon base instead of building new ways to snoop on people? As it stands, China's going to open up a Denny's in Mare Crisum long before our guys get there, and we'll end up having to pay them a tax to put up a telescope or something, there...

[readyforchange]

05:56 PM on 09/12/2007

Good for Canada. It's nice to know some countries take an individual's right to privacy seriously.

[Crozier]

07:14 PM on 09/12/2007

Thank you. We do take many things seriously. It begins with freedom and equal rights for all human beings. Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms is 21 years old as we adopted a written constitution.

It mirrors the Bill of Rights of the USA with one exception - ours actually is more than an archaic document or piece of fiction like yours.

If you find this harsh, rightwingtrolls, then ask your own country's minorities how they feel about how and to whom you dispense equal rights.

[postedby]

07:30 PM on 09/12/2007

WHAT?! "right to privacy" while walking on a public street??? Explain that one to me.

[Dantana]

05:38 PM on 09/12/2007

Those Canucks can go hug a tree. This was just one of the rights Americans gave up fighting that ol warofterror after 9-11...

[amanda85]

06:22 PM on 09/12/2007

Earth to Dantana: we're not part of your country.

[Crozier]

07:25 PM on 09/12/2007

And you can go hug a fellow fascist....lol

[amanda85]

05:32 PM on 09/12/2007

We take our privacy very seriously.
Every real democracy should.

Google can go cheney themselves.

[Crozier]

07:25 PM on 09/12/2007

Right on, my extremely fortunate Canadian sister.

[Bright Creature]

07:43 PM on 09/12/2007

I agree. They own youtube and have agreed not to show any video with the King of Thailand or Tianimen Square footage so that they could market and not be blocked in those countries. Google is definitely becoming suspect in my eyes in regards to civil liberties issues.

PS. I idly wonder if Google is one of the companies helping the Bush admin with their spying on US citizens...

[MI6troll]

05:31 PM on 09/12/2007

Just consider ir payback for Celine Dion, eh.

[Canukistani]

05:50 PM on 09/12/2007

Ouch! That's a low blow. Ok, we deserve it. Guilty as charged. I can apologize, but I can't make her stop.

[amanda85]

06:21 PM on 09/12/2007

Last I checked, Celine Dion is a US citizen. So is Pamela Anderson, Brendan Fraser, Howie Mandel and William Shatner.

We know where to dump our trash.

;)

(All in good fun, of course...)

[loki]

12:57 AM on 09/13/2007

I was thinking the same thing, but for the McKinsey Brothers,