Privacy concerns

My As It Happens podcast was about Google's Street View. You can see it in action above. Some people are concerned that having a car driving around taking a picture of every single street in the world is an invasion of privacy; that they'll be caught on camera doing something they don't want the world to see or that a user of Street View will be able to see into their front window. I don't see how this argument stands up.

If you are doing something illegal on the sidewalk, chances are you'll be suspicious of a car driving down the street with a massive piece of technology on the roof. You'll probably be looking out for cars with technology on the roof that flashes blue and red anyway. For thousands of years, people have been walking down streets and witnessing illegal activity with the privacy of the perpetrator never questioned. Companies are also allowed to put up surveillance cameras around their businesses to watch the activity outside. I'm sure that 100% of those cameras are not trained on 100% private property. If you're cheating on your wife/husband, there are better ways for your wife/husband to catch you than scouring the Internet, hoping Google will drive by, take your picture so that you're both recognizable and post the pictures on the Internet in a timely manner.

With the number of roads in the world, Google will probably only drive down your street about once every two to ten years. Every year if you live in San Francisco. Had they driven down my street, I might use that picture when I give directions to my house; that would be pretty cool to do. Of course, my house numbers are legible so it's not that necessary. I've used Google Earth to show friends and family what my roof looks like. Chances are that Google will be driving down exciting streets first and more often. Businesses could use it for advertising! "As seen in Google Street View!" So, once again, the chances of Google driving down your street, taking pictures while your drapes are open and you're standing buck naked in full view is remote. If you're going to sue Google for invasion of privacy, you'd better also sue the retired couple down the block who have little else to occupy their time and the teenage astronomy buff neighbour who isn't looking for heavenly bodies in the sky. I don't think robbers or pedophiles are going to be using Street View for reconnaissance either. As one friend found out first hand, robbers are going to do a little more work than look at a still picture on the Internet. Luckily for his family, the robber attempting to pilfer from his neighbourhood was caught and the robber's notes mentioned the "big dog" at my friend's house.

That all being said, if you zoom in on the picture above, you can that that after about a minute on Street View I found Morpheus! But that's not Neo with him.