14 DAY TRIAL // Google's Street View is being accused, once again, of having infringed privacy rights. Betty Webba, a resident of Sonoma, Humboldt County, US, told PressDemocrat that one of the cars carrying a camera meant to shoot the imagery necessary for the development of the Street View network trespassed on her property. According to the woman, the driver of the car entered her property knowing that there was a household in the remote place, therefore being informed of the consequences of such an act.
"They really went off the track to get to our address. We are over 1,200 feet from a county road," she said. Moreover, on the way there, the driver of the Google car apparently passed by two signs reading "No Trespassing" and one barking guard dog. Google's stand in this situation will probably be similar to the one taken in the case of the couple that sued the search giant for taking pictures of their house without their consent.
"There isn't any privacy, get over it", was the Google statement made after the company heard about the lawsuit. Google's defense relied upon the fact that, nowadays, satellite imagery didn't leave any room for privacy, even in the desert or in people's own homes. Google might as well do the same now, the only "advantage" being offered to the people whose properties are caught on tape and can be seen by anyone being the opting-out possibility.
The driver of the car used to take pictures around and inside the property of Betty Webba admitted to having been told he was free to drive wherever he saw fit in Sonoma County, as PressDemocrat reveals. This goes against the statement of Google's spokesman Larry Yu, who said that Street View drivers were locals of the area that needed an imagery update, who were informed about which roads to take in order to avoid private property trespassing.
Therefore, it is only understandable that people criticize Google's approach on privacy. Some of them even go as far as posting morbid comments at the bottom of the article describing the situation on the abovementioned website. "One day Google's photographers will enter the wrong property and will be staring down the wrong end of a shotgun." says one.