14 DAY TRIAL // Google's headaches with Street View comparative with how important the project is to the company are fairly significant. But the company has moved forward and continued to expand it despite the hardships.
Now, Google has gotten the go-ahead from the Israeli government for shooting in the country, albeit with some conditions.
Google has been trying to expand in the country and government agencies have been reviewing the issue for a few months now. Today, the company has gotten approval and can start deploying its Street View cars and trikes.
However, the approval has some commitments from Google attached. The company has to blur number plates and people, nothing new here, but also has to blur or remove images on request from users.
In fact, the conditions are among the toughest imposed on Google Street View, before the company shoots the photos.
People will be allowed to request that their houses be removed from Street View, like in Germany, though it's unclear whether they'll be able to do it before the service goes live.
Google also has to provide ample data in response to any of the requests it gets. What's more, Street View will be operated by Google Israel, meaning that the country will have jurisdiction over the service and that the company can be tried under the country's laws over matters relating to the service.
Sensitive locations, probably determined by the government, will not be included in Street View. Google also has to mark its cars and explain the scope of the program clearly.
While it does look like Google will have to work harder in the country than in most other places, some of the conditions imposed by the government were already enforced by Google.
For its part, Google is eager to get to work, though it will probably be a while until the cars hit the streets and even longer until the images end up online.