So the folks at Google, ever the innovators, have added a feature to their maps website called “Street View.” What it is, essentially, is photographs from the ground to compliment the satellite photography they already display. Apparently there’s a Google Van or something that drives through neighborhoods on public roads and takes pictures from the ground which are then uploaded to the internet.
This has caused some controversy because one woman was able to find a picture of her cat looking out the window of her apartment on Google’s map feature. She’s claiming invasion of privacy.
What do you think?
Personally, I think that this is far from an invasion of privacy. I’m not sure why anyone would have an expectation of privacy on things inside their house that can be seen by people driving by on a public street. If you’re sitting naked in front of a window and I walk by on the sidewalk and see you have I violated your privacy? Of course not. Yet that’s exactly the sort of situation where this woman is claiming that her rights have been violated.
Like it or not, we live in an information age. Things that have always been public but often hard to access - like criminal and civil records, etc. - are becoming easier to find for anyone who capable of typing a few search strings and clicking a mouse a few times. It may well be that one day, if you maintain a public phone listing, someone may be able to use the internet to find your entire criminal history, your civil history (divorces, etc.), satellite photography of your property as well as street-level photos of your home too. This isn’t so far off, and I’d go so far as to say that it’s inevitable. The toothpaste is out of the tube now, and companies like Google are going to make this data available on the internet whether you like it or not.
It’s really not something I’m all that worried about, though. I’ve got nothing to hide, and if someone wants to see pictures of my house (and laugh at how I lack diligence when it comes to mowing my lawn and trimming my shrubbery) so be it. I’m not in the habit of caring much about what other people think of me.