July 31st, 2008
Google: Complete Privacy No Longer Exists
By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews
It’s been discussed before: in this information-filled age with all our personal data in databases that are vulnerable to leaks, as well as much of our behavioral data being gathered by corporations, is there really any privacy? On Wednesday, in response to a lawsuit, Google said no.
In April, Pittsburgh couple Aaron and Christine Boring (yes, that’s really their name) filed suit against Google in Allegheny County court. Why? They felt that Google’s “reckless conduct” in publishing Street View photos (above) of their property (which was “protected” by a private road sign) caused “mental suffering” and hurt the value of their home.
There’s a fairly easy way to get pictures removed from Street View (more on that later), and Google brought that up, implying that someone decided it was a good way to get some cash out of a large corporation. On the other hand, if that was the case, they strangely only asked for $25,000.
As Google said in their motion to dismiss the complaint:
“When plaintiffs discovered these images, rather than using the simple removal option Google affords, they sued Google for invasion of privacy, trespass, negligence, and conversion. Plaintiffs seek damages form ‘mental suffering’ and diminished property value supposedly caused by the public accessibility of the photos. They claim these injuries even though similar photos of their home were already publicly available on the Internet, and even though they drew exponentially greater attention to the images in question by filing and publicizing the lawsuit while choosing not to remove the images of their property from the Street View service.”
The photos already available on the Internet that Google mentions above are on a county website.
While that’s true, here’s the scary, big-brotherish (though unnervingly true) part:
“Today’s satellite-image technology means that even in today’s desert, complete privacy does not exist. In any event, plaintiffs live far from the desert and are far from hermits.
As far as Google’s contention that the Borings could remove the offending image: it’s true. All they (or anyone) has to do was bring up Street View Help, click a link, and select “This image infringes on my privacy.”
But their lawyer, Dennis Moskal, had this response:
“If you take Google’s response to the furthest conclusion, you could never have any reasonable expectation of privacy unless you fortified your house and barricaded yourself in.”
and
“Is something ever really removed from the Internet once it’s sent out to a billion people? It’s a face-off between big business saying that they can set forth what the law is - that they’re above the law.”
He has a point about things never disappearing from the Web. After all, things like old MySpace photos have brought down politicians … and more. And where did I get the picture of their property above? Right.
John says:
Google: “Do no evil”. Sure, whatever. By nature of being a Big Coporation they are, in essence, evil. You can’t have it both ways. I’m not saying I wouldn’t work for them, just so we’re clear.
July 31st, 2008 at 1:32 pm
52.co.nz says:
» Google: Complete Privacy No Longer Exists » Blog Archive Alice Hill’s Real Tech News - Independent Tech…
It’s been discussed before: in this information-filled age with all our personal data in databases that are vulnerable to leaks, as well as much of our behavioral data being gathered by corporations, is there really any privacy? On Wednesday, in resp…
August 1st, 2008 at 1:18 am
Robert says:
How can they be respecting your privacy when they force you to “opt out” ? That’s kind of like saying that SPAM is okay because while you are due to get 2million emails today, you can opt out of them! It’s just crazy. perhaps it should be the other way round, force Google to get folk to OPT IN! Give them the option.
August 1st, 2008 at 6:01 am
Philip says:
The scary thing here is that following Google’s philosophy, the next thing might be them barging in your house and taking pictures inside because they can make a buck with let’s say realtors. Where does it stop, from their point of view nothing is off limit.
August 1st, 2008 at 6:14 am
MGA says:
Currently, Google is limited with USA street pictures. They can not go in that much deep for other part of the world. But it scares me that, this not live but very up to date “bird look” pictures of places, will open a new era for robbers or similar kind of crime seekers. Even though most of us thinks that we are enjoying to zoom in our houses; as long as this feature has a possibility to bring evil, they should stop it!
August 1st, 2008 at 7:36 am
Kevin K. says:
I think this whole argument is ridiculous. What Google is doing with Street View is no different AT ALL from driving down the street on your way home looking to the left or right as you drive. And no one complains about you invading their privacy in those instances, do they? No they don’t.
The only thing Google is doing that is any different is making a persistent image of a point and place in time which is no different from what I remember from seeing as I drove down one of my subdivision’s streets albeit the Google version is a lot more detailed and accurate.
Anything that happens in public is pretty much in the public domain and not an invasion of privacy. If you want it to remain private, then do it in the comfort of your own home with the curtains drawn.
I think I’ll invade everyone’s privacy on my drive home today….!
August 1st, 2008 at 11:37 am
Jessica says:
What an interesting article. Personally, I have always been disappointed that I can’t yet zoom in on my neighborhood using Google Earth or Street View. I live in a remote area and they just haven’t gotten around to us yet I guess.
But I can absolutely see where folks might have some privacy concerns, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for privacy in general.
August 1st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
pligg.com says:
» Google: Complete Privacy No Longer Exists » Blog Archive…
It’s been discussed before: in this information-filled age with all our personal data in databases that are vulnerable to leaks, as well as much of our behavioral data being gathered by corporations, is there really any privacy? On Wednesday, in resp…
August 1st, 2008 at 8:21 pm