Search engine giant Google Inc will face a lawsuit that was filed by a Swedish privacy watchdog, which accused its popular Google Street View application as a direct violator of the strict tradition of personal privacy in the country.
The Federal Data Protection of Switzerland on Friday issued a statement, saying that they will file a lawsuit before the federal court to force the Internet giant to make several changes to its Google View application, which is aimed to map and photograph every inch of the globe.
FDP Commissioner Hanspeter Thuer, in a statement, said that they want Google to blur all the car plates, façade, and recognizable objects that would violate the right of a person to privacy.
The commission also wants Google to remove photos of areas that are enclosed such as private walled gardens and streets that was registered as private sanctuary.
Likewise, Thuer said that Google should announce, in its website, at least a week in advance before it conducts a photographing or mapping activities in particular cities and towns.
But Google officials said that the move by the FDP was outrageous, saying that they will have to depend themselves in court.
Based on records, the Google Street View is aimed to let users have a panoramic street-level view of the more than 120 cities and towns around the world.
It was not the first time that countries opposed the application. Just recently, European cities and Japan has asked the Internet giant to explain their action and why they photographed their areas without their consent.
“This could potentially expose embarrassing facts about our lives and the private things that we do. Not to mention the safety of our neighborhood from elements that would inflict further disgrace to us and our town,” a concerned citizen from Europe said.
Google was able to take pictures of an entire town using a camera fixed on top of vehicles, which also captured different objects and activities inside fences, walls, and houses.
This now raises the question on whether the Street View only provides a regular passersby view or a voyeuristic eye site to every houses along the street.
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