The privacy nuts are at it again, this time in Germany where data protection officials are at odds with Google over its Street View imagery.
Johannes Caspar, data protection official for Hamburg, and representatives from 16 other German states are threatening Google with “unspecified sanctions” if the company doesn’t provide a written agreement to comply with Germany’s privacy laws.
German officials are concerned about a variety of Street View-related points including the unauthorized filming of houses and private property and Google’s use of imagery it removes from the mapping platform upon request.
In speaking with The New York Times, German officials didn’t elaborate on any other issues nor did they clarify what the sanctions would be, but a German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information spokesman did tell the newspaper that Google could be handed a fine of up to US$136, 000. Or in other words, peanuts. The spokesman also said that “penalties for this type of activity are limited in Germany.”
Google has until 10:00 AM on Wednesday to submit the written agreement after which officials will pursue the so-called “unspecified sanctions” if the company doesn’t comply.
Google says that it will respond by the deadline, but declined to tell the Times if they would agree to everything.
Google Street View is a service built on top of Google Maps that provides 360-degree panoramic imagery of streets around the globe. It’s now available in 11 countries but tends to be met with privacy concerns every time it launches in a new country. The service does automatically blur license plates and faces and Google removes any imagery requested by citizens.
