14 DAY TRIAL // Although Google has always said that people's privacy is one of the main reasons for concern for the company, Google Street View somehow comes to contradict that statement. Aaron and Christine Boring, a couple from Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit against the search giant because their house appeared, without their consent, on Google's web service.
Although images that might be in any way offensive can be removed at anyone's request, the family decided to hear a judge's verdict in the matter. Google disclaimed that images of their property were taken during a "brief entry upon their driveway." Moreover, the company tries to convince people that the display of some of their personal information, such as how the house they live in looks like or how big their courtyard is, is not a violation of their privacy in nowadays' society. "Today's satellite-image technology means that even in today's desert, complete privacy does not exist." said Google after hearing about the lawsuit.
It seems that the tables have turned, as the National Legal and Policy Center was pretty harsh about Google's taking things so lightly. Ken Boehm, Chairman of National Legal and Policy Center stated that "Perhaps in Google's world privacy does not exist, but in the real world individual privacy is fundamentally important and is being chipped away bit by bit every day by companies like Google. Google's hypocrisy is breathtaking."
The organization even took action, posting on its website a 7 page document that shows private details about one of Google's executives. The plate number, the company that offers landscape services, the type of his neighbors' alarm system, the distance from the house to the front gate and the shortest road the official can take to his office were some of the details shown by National Legal and Policy Center.
With so many people appreciating the Street View initiative, although it also has its share of criticism, it is hard to believe that the project would be shut down, no matter the embarrassing moments or number of lawsuits.