14 DAY TRIAL // Google is continuing to expand Street View, despite the rather numerous problems that have crept up around the project, ranging from unwarranted paranoia to Google not doing itself any favors by capturing public WiFi communications.
Now, Street View is becoming available in Belgium. Pretty much the entire country is covered, quite literally, it's hard to find a spot where Street View imagery is not available nearby, assuming of course that the spot close to a street.
"Belgium today becomes the 17th European country launched on Street View. From now on, anyone with a computer will be able to visit the country’s 300 castles, 40 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 200 museums, and more than 2000 chocolate shops. In the the capital, Brussels, users can now take a virtual stroll around the famous Grand Place," Google announced.
There are plenty of places to see in the country. Those living in Belgium should be flocking to check out their neighborhoods and other places they know.
Of course, Belgium is home to many European Union institutions, such as the European Parliament and the European Commission, both being available in Google Street View.
In Belgium, Google didn't have to go the trouble it did in Germany, but it played safe and consulted with the Belgian Privacy Commission before launching Street View.
That's not to say that people in Belgium, at least some of them, won't have things to complain about.
Google Street View is one of the most underrated and perhaps under-appreciated projects at the company. It opens up the world, as it is in everyday life, to anyone with a computer and an internet connection.
Yet, some people are uncomfortable with photos of their homes being available online for anyone to see. They can ask for the photos to be removed, of course.