Privacy? What Privacy?


You tell ‘em Stuart! Err… at least until 1:26.

A series of news articles from the UK has shaking my head in wonderment. Google recently made Street View available which has caused a privacy outcry. Driving around the country and taking pictures is an invasion of privacy and people are demanding that Google take this service down.

Then there is another set of articles saying that the UK government is going to start snooping around social networking sites like facebook and Bebo. Keep in mind that this is the same government that installs CCTV cameras and actively keeps watch of public spaces. Anyone ever heard of TV detector vans? Yeah…

So it’s amazing to me how pictures taken in the public sphere where, at least in American law, no one has an expectation of privacy, can be met with resistance. People take pictures in public spaces and post them on the internet all the time. Google just makes it more accessible to access those images.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm on both sides of the fence here. I'm one of those people who takes pictures of public (and private) spaces and I do post them on my blog.

On the other hand, not only can you find my address and phone number online, you can also find a picture of my house and, if you wanted to enlarge the photo, you could probably read the number of my liscense plate. For a female living alone that is scary.

I guess the bottom line is that there is no such thing as true privacy anymore--so we might as well get used to it.
Fri Mar 27, 08:26:00 AM EDT
David said…
^All that information is public (for the most part). It's slightly more difficult, but I can pull a phonebook and get your number and address. It's just that Google makes it easier to get info that you want. And let's face it--that's a core part of their business plan.
Fri Mar 27, 07:49:00 PM EDT
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