Czechs ban Google from expanding 'Street View'

The Czech Republic has banned Google from continuing mapping for "Street View".

The Czech Office for Personal Data Protection says Google has not been granted the necessary registration. The OPDP has been investigating Google for failing to meet necessary requirements needed to collect data since April and the office plans to speak about the case next week.

The U.S. Internet giant has of course come under fire from authorities across Europe, including Germany, over concerns that it violated people's privacy as it seized information from wi-fi networks whilst cars took pictures of streets (and gardens, and homes, and cars, and...).

Google acknowledged the privacy breach in an apology in the spring, but investigations continue.

Developing...

By Alex Deane

Comments

[alastair]

Well I think we can guarantee that, thanks to this global overreaction, no private company will ever confess to any such mistake at any time in the future. Even Google, with it's "don't be evil" motto, will probably think twice from now on.

I think that's sad, actually, though I always thought Google was naïve to admit that they'd accidentally captured extra data (and I maintain my position that deleting it is the best thing for privacy, and always was).

[Stephen Hoffman]

Good to hear that one country is standing up to Google's surveillance project. I wish our information commissioner would take a leaf out of the Czech Republic's stance. Unfortunately considering the information commissioner's previous work in this area, I have my doubts.