Privacy concerns could see European regulators prevent Google from adding street-level photo images to its mapping service.
The search engine's Street View tool gives 360 degree views of hotspots in over 40 US cities. First launched in May 2007, the software has yet to be applied to European cities but Google has already started collecting images for this purpose.
Peter Hustinx, data protection supervisor for the EU, warned that the provision of these images may violate privacy laws. "Making pictures everywhere is certainly going to create some problems," he said, speaking the presentation of his annual report.
Hustinx also said he was sure that Google would take privacy legislation into account when planning the release of its products.
Earlier this year the search company agreed to fulfil a request from the Pentagon to remove selected images relating to US Army bases. Other critics have objected to the fact that people caught in Google's photos are having their images put online without their consent.
This week a blog posting from a Google employee demonstrated a software tool which aims to automatically blur the faces of people appearing in its images. The post admits that the software still needs some work, since it currently also blurs the faces of horses in New York's Central park.
Online tools will help to expand the company's search facilities 12 Dec 2007
Google has enjoyed phenomenal growth since its relatively humble beginnings, but how does the company plan to expand further? 25 Oct 2007
Next-generation web technologies have created a new way to combine data 09 Aug 2007
Property investment firm integrates Google Earth to show properties for sale 26 Mar 2007
More controversy for Street View tool 24 Mar 2009
Search company to introduce more controls and abide by data protection laws 16 Jun 2009
Privacy watchdog rebuts Privacy International's concerns 20 Apr 2009Users identify themselves in pictures 21 Mar 2009Google Maps feature expands to cover 'almost all' of Britain's roads 10 Mar 2010
E.ON and ScottishPower receive funding to help complete design and development studies 12 Mar 2010
But the Commission remains confident bloc will exceed target to generate a fifth of energy from renewables by 2020 12 Mar 2010
Industry urges legislators to move bill to the president's desk as quickly as possible 12 Mar 2010
More news
From hydropower hot spots to record-breaking Texan winds, we run down the top stories from the past week 12 Mar 2010
Few debates cast the UK's business and political community in such an unedifying light as the never-ending row over skills.... 12 Mar 2010
Christian Kjaer, chief executive of the European Wind Energy Association, argues that a supergrid is essential to EU efforts to cut carbon emissions 11 Mar 2010 More in-depth
Post your comment
Send an email to the Business Green editor at feedback@businessgreen.com
