The street view feature that has made the Google Maps an immense success requires Google vans and cars equipped with cameras to roam the streets of the locations and gather data that is then used in Google Maps. However, the street view drive by Google has landed in trouble as the Swiss privacy watchdog is all set to sue the internet behemoth on the position of personal privacy. The organization plans to drag Google to a federal court in an effort to make Google change its street view initiative.

According to Hanspeter Thuer, (Commissioner, Switzerland Federal Data Protection),

“Numerous faces and vehicle number plates are not made sufficiently unrecognizable from the point of view of data protection, especially where the persons concerned are shown in sensitive locations, e.g. outside hospitals, prisons or schools. The height from which the camera on top of the Google vehicle films is also problematic. It provides a view over fences, hedges and walls, with the result that people see more on Street View than can been seen by a normal passer-by in the street.”

The Federal Datat Protection requires Google to blur the faces of individuals and also the license plates of the vehicles that are captured by Google Street View cars. Furthermore, Google is required to inform the town it wishes to visit, one week in advance along with the removal of images that show private properties such as walled gardens, private streets etc. However, Google has strenuously objected on the proposed changes and has expressed its will to challenge the claims in the court room. According to Matthias Meyer (Spokesperson, Google),

“We believe that Google Street View is absolutely legal. We’re trying to implement this new technology as fast as we can.”

However, this is not the first time, Google has landed such predicaments due to the street view photography. In the month of July this year, the privacy officials of Greece rejected a Google street view drive, stating that, the drive will not be permitted till more privacy protocols are out into effect. German authorities also forced Google to render faces and vehicles unidentifiable of those who did not wish to be seen online in Google Maps Street View.

Via Associated Press.