Privacy advocates say Google's gone too far

GOOGLE is back in the privacy firing line over its latest internet mapping blitz, which will make Australian streets some of the most scrutinised in the world.

From today, Australian consumers will be able to go beyond having a bird's eye view of their neighbourhood through the Google Earth service and zoom in to street level for a 360-degree view.

The service, Google Street View Australia, is the result of a massive six-month photographic project covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres of roads.

Google has won support for the service from teachers, as well as the property and tourism industries. But privacy advocates are concerned the company is, again, steam-rolling privacy rights to reach its commercial goals.

In this case, opponents are concerned that Street View may identify individuals as being present in places, which could compromise their privacy.

Australian Privacy Foundation board member Dr Dan Svantesson said Google's privacy record was viewed dimly on the international stage.

Dr Svantesson, an associate law professor at Bond University, said: "Generally speaking, in privacy their reputation is not great. Most recently there was a major dispute over the lack of a privacy statement on Google's main portal. The link is there now but it's as small as they could possibly get away with."

A Google spokesman said the company consulted widely with privacy groups and government bodies before proceeding with the Street View project. They also said its measures to disguise faces and number plates using blurring technology had been met positively by privacy groups.

But in cases where the technology misses the mark, potentially compromising pictures will stay online until Google receives a request for their removal or alteration through an online complaint service.

Last week, a spokesman for the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner cautiously confirmed that the agency supported Google's approach.

Dr Svantesson said the steps Google had taken were inadequate. Individuals could be identified by features other than faces and number plates, he said. The APF was also concerned that Google made no attempt to include the public in its consultation process.

"Google has consulted with us and that has been very positive but arguably the consultation could have gone wider," Dr Svantesson said.

The scope of the service launched in Australia surpasses Google's efforts in France, where consumers can take virtual strolls along the Tour de France cycling route and in the US where it has mapped about 50 cities.