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Google Street View, a Google Maps feature that lets users see images of streets and the surrounding areas, continues to generate controversy. Since its launch in May 2007, the feature has prompted questions about whether it constitutes an invasion of privacy, complaints about inappropriate images, and even a lawsuit.Aaron and Christine Dull vs. GoogleThe lawsuit came from a Pittsburgh couple in April 2008. The couple lives on a confidential road. But, Google’s Street View team travelled down the road and continued taking images all the way up to the couple’s home. The images were then posted to Google Maps and included close-ups of the couple’s home, swimming pool, and outbuildings.Google’s response? “Complete privacy does not exist in this world apart from in a desert, and anyone who is not a hermit must expect and endure the ordinary incidents of the community life of which he (or she) is a part (1).”While Google’s assertion that its Street View imaging team is an “ordinary incident of community life” is far-fetched, Google does make some excellent points in its response. Namely, that the plaintiffs could have simply requested that Google remove the offending images from Street View via a form available on Google Maps. Instead, the couple filed suit and in doing so have made the topic public record and ensured that the images will be viewed by even more people.Since the lawsuit, Google has removed the images in question, but the suit remains open.The Borings’ NeighborsOn Goldenbrook Lane, a nearby street, some of the Borings’ neighbors also had an incident with the Street View team. In this incident, the Street View team drove up Goldenbrook Lane and into the driveway of the McKee residence. They continued to drive, snapping Street View images the total way, up to the garages of the McKees (2). While it appears that the McKees didn’t resort to a lawsuit, Google has removed the images of the home that were taken from confidential property from Street View.Street View in CaliforniaIn California, the antics of the Street View drivers continued. Drivers reportedly went on over 100 confidential roads in Sonoma County according to an analysis done by PressDemocrat.com. In a further instance, Street View drivers went past two no trespassing signs as they photographed the 1,200 foot confidential road leading up to Betty Webb’s house in Humboldt County. In a further incident reported by PressDemocrat.com, Street View drivers ignored a no trespassing sign, passed through a gate, and drove through a name’s yard on a dirt road near Freestone.Street View and U.S. Air force BasesIn Development 2008, the Pentagon requested that Google remove some images of air force bases taken from public streets due to the potential threat those images posed to inhabitant security. “It really shows where all the guards are. It shows how the barriers go up and down. It shows how to get in and out of buildings,” said General Gene Renuart, commander of U.S. Northern Command (3). According to Google spokesman Larry Yu, Google has honored the Pentagon’s requests (4). But, the Pentagon was still reviewing the many images of air force conveniences that were included in Street View (5).Street View Goes GlobalAfter the complaints in the U.S., other countries warned Google that Street View would have to be modified to comply with their stricter privacy laws. To this end, Google has improved facial recognition technology so that it can find faces in images and blur them so that they are unrecognizable. This technology has also been applied to license plates. The blurring feature has since been applied to U.S. Street View imagery in addition to images in other countries where Street View is now available.AccountabilityWhile Google has removed some of the aforementioned locations from Street View, the burden to monitor Google’s events, be it Street View or other Google air force, continues to fall on people like you and me. With regard to Street View, Google argues that “many people–visitors pulling in the driveway, neighbors turning around at the end of the road, deliverymen delivering packages–can all plainly see the exterior of the (Borings) home (6).” While these examples are likely accurate for the Borings and the populace in general, they involve people that we know or strangers that we requested to come to our homes. Confidential residents didn’t question for that Google stay these neighborhoods nor would residents reasonably expect that a name would be driving down their streets taking photographs of everything. In fact, I suspect that if you or I were to do the same thing, a name would call the police and we’d have some hard questions to answer down at the station.Potential ConsequencesSo, what could the consequences of Street View be? Well, while the feature has been used to aid police in a kidnapping investigation (7), I reckon the feature could be far more useful to criminals. For example, a criminal could use Street View to case a neighborhood–checking Street View for cars that are parked in garages or driveways so they could know when a name isn’t at home, scan the yards and windows for any signs indicating that homes have security systems, check the proximity of neighboring houses using Street View and Google’s satellite imagery, look for signs of pets that could pose problems for a thief, see if the homes have newspapers delivered (which might help the thief determine if the residents were on vacation) and, assuming the criminal found a excellent candidate, select a few potential access points (like open windows) for breaking into the home. If the Street View car happened to pass through your neighborhood on nonsense day, the camera might even capture the box of that new HDTV you got. Scary, huh?Protecting Your PrivacySo how can you protect yourself? First, check your address using Street View. To report a concern with Street View imagery, penetrate the address you desire and click “Search Maps.” Then, click “Street View” in the thought bubble that appears on the map. Once the “Street View” image appears, click “Report a Concern” in the bottom left corner of the Street View image and penetrate the details of your complaint.Second, be mindful of how your information is used and act when you feel your privacy is being threatened. Google’s Street View can be a helpful tool, but it is meant to help Google sell ads and make cash, not protect your privacy. You can write your local, state and federal representatives and even the local paper to voice your opinion.Oh, and if you believe as Google does that “complete privacy does not exist,” then you should check out the house where Google CEO Eric Schmidt reportedly lives using satellite imagery from Google Maps. It looks like he has had some construction done in the past few years. A simple Google search of the address (366 Walsh Road, Atherton, CA) will tell you that Schmidt merged two adjacent lots in 2001 (8) to make the new lot and then added a new fence, retaining wall, and drainage in 2004 (9). Eric, that creepiness that you’re feeling is probably approaching the amount of the people who had Street View vehicles in their driveways. So, while it is Google’s mission to “organize the world’s information and make it accessible and useful,” the company should thoroughly consider how that information can adversely impression the same people it is meant to help.Sources1. Preliminary Statement.” Dull vs. Google, Allegheny County, PA2. TheSmokingGun.com “Google is in Your Driveway!”3. Reuters. “Google pulls some map images at Pentagon’s question for.” Mar. 6, 2008.4. Ibid5. Ibid6. Preliminary Statement.” Dull vs. Google, Allegheny County, PA7. Telegraph.co.uk. “US police use Google Street View to find missing child.” Jan. 9, 20098. Town of Atherton City Council Minutes, May 16, 2001.9. Palo Alto Online, September 24, 2001.(C) Medium Blue 2009