14 DAY TRIAL // Google's Street View service continues to be its most controversial, most likely, wrongfully so. But it's the most visible and easier to understand since it relies on the "real world" for much of its data.
It's pretty hard to explain to the average Joe how Google Buzz could have violated his privacy, but it's a lot easier to make him believe that photos of his house online are evil, even though, they probably existed on the web long before Google rolled out Street View.
In another case of painfully slow reactions, Google has been barred from taking any new photos in the Czech Republic by the authorities, pending an investigation of its operations.
Local authorities worry that Google's service invades the citizens' privacy, though they're not exactly clear how. But they intend to find out.
More accurately, officials have said that they're not sure if Google collecting images for Street View is not against the law. Until they are sure that Google operates lawfully in the country, the company will not be allowed to send its cars out to collect data.
Google Street View has already launched in the Czech Republic and the service won't be blocked or shut down. Rather, Street View cars won't be able to collect updated imagery or shoot locations not yet available online.
The Czech Office for Personal Data Protection has refused to give Google the needed license to shoot the imagery. And it won't do this until its investigation is over.
Apparently, the office is still looking into the whole Google Street View Wi-Fi data matter that was revealed a few months ago.
Google said at the time that it had unknowingly been collecting public Wi-Fi data from the networks it scanned with its Street View car. It has been working with authorities, many of which have launched investigations, to resolve the issue. It is also under investigation in the Czech Republic.