- Saturday, 28 November 2009
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Don't buy the house, buy the neighbourhood - Russian proverb
Big bad Google upsets York
GOOGLE spy cars are again causing havoc on our streets – as the utterly indiscreet vehicles travel around mapping our every move, the unsurprising outcry from privacy campaigners can be heard for miles around.
These unsightly spies have been spotted in York as part of the online 3D mapping project run by search giant, Google.
Google’s plans to map the streets, parks and buildings of the UKs winding avenues have apparently violated the York city centre traffic rules, prompting an angry mob of Council officials who have "demanded answers".
Unhappy snappers have been reporting sightings of these unwelcome guests since September.
According to Simon Davies of Privacy International Google has over-stepped the mark as its global mapping plans interfere with the public’s day to day life – without consent.
Mr Davies has accused Google of arrogant behavior in thinking it can, "go anywhere in the world and do anything it wants with no authority whatsoever".
Paul Barrett, York’s city manager has plans to contact Google for a right telling off and find out exactly what the company thought it was doing. The council will then decide what to do.
Google has said that people’s privacy would be kept by blurring out identities and it didn’t know whether or not any of the information collected would even be used.
The Information Commission has shown its hand by saying that it has no problem with Google’s plans claiming that the project has "adequate privacy safeguards" as well as people having the option to be removed at any time.
Although this all sounds like a parent telling off a child for ear-wigging in on someone’s conversation, both sides of the story can be understood. µ
L'Inq
The Press
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Cmon, if a noone gets to nowhere and takes pictures of the surroundings, nobody ever cares. It's only google snaping out the world arround, so next version of Google Earth will become really interesting. They can only capitalize with that selling these resources to map services and the like, and also using that data for richer local-based directory and coordinate services.

Your phone company's may be permanentely tapping on your phone calls and you may never now, your bank has all your balance info stored, and people are concerned about some street snaps?

Can someone spell "Misoriented Paranoia" for me please?
A googlecar went past my house in york 2 months ago, and they're still at it?

Also, ignore the grumpy old yorkshiremen, as a york resident i fully wholeheartedly grant permission for google to film york without any prior notification.
If you do a search on this site with Google, US, Base.... you will find an article about issues with streetview around a US army base a while back.

The comments there were for the most part 'no big deal'... it'll be interesting to see the comments on this article.
They still look into the skies when an aeroplane goes over York, god only knows how they will fathom out a car with cameras on it. They will probably just chase it with pitch forks.
Yes Jason, I'm sure the citizens of York will be chasing it with pitchforks.. Very clever. If just might interest you that York is home to some awesom technology companies, one of which is responsible contributing to innovations such as the BBC iPlayer, Sky by Broadband, Channel 4 on Demand etc etc.

Where do you come from, some lovely place like Manchester on Birmingham with it's failed car industry and massive heavy industry estates.. Perhaps even from Nottingham where you and your homies all pop at each other wit' guns for entertainment.

York is beautiful and you're jealous as you probably live in some dump.