Google Earth’s Street View, on view to everybody

The revolutionary way of showing a 360° view of the world that Google Earth offers through Street View arouses resentments in every continent. And now that the giant of the Net is announcing this product’s new functions (like the layers of weather, radar, etc.), “the Big Brother of the streets”, made possible by the Google cars that go around the cities recording the main spots at ‘eye level’, has become the target of computer hackers in some countries where its ‘panoramic eyes’ are ‘not allowed’.

Although up to now Google has faced at least thirty legal investigations related to Google Earth’s Street View, the news reached the top of the webs headings when the UK’s authorities admitted that they have been working on this issue, although they finally concluded that ‘there is no evidence that the data captured by Google –in relation to private WIFI networks- has caused any individual detriment.”

However, legal and criminal actions initiated against Google in USA, Asia, Oceania and Europe because of the way in which its cars drive through the cities recording them (at least 23 countries are discussing the possibility of restricting or banning this activity in their territories) to offer an ‘eye level’ view to any Google Earth or Maps Google user, don’t seem to be the only problem the company has to face. Many people are also pointing their fingers distrustfully to its main video portal.

In Russia, a judge banned YouTube because it was considered to encourage ethnic discrimination and violence in one of the published videos. This clearly brings up a problem that has been subject of debate for quite some time in different parts of the world: the companies’ and users’ responsibility as regards the access to freedom of expression and information.

But despite some differences, and judging by previous similar situations, Google will surely find the way to guarantee its Google Earth tool, which has also been approved by the millions of users around the world.

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