"Google snapper sent packing; English villagers block the taking of photos in town" by Jill Lawless, Associated Press | April 4, 2009
LONDON - You're never far from a camera in Britain, a country that has accepted the presence of millions of surveillance cameras on its streets, shopping centers and public spaces.
But for the villagers of Broughton in southern England, the roving eye of Google was one camera too many. A gaggle of residents in the affluent hamlet formed a human chain to turn away a car shooting images for Google Street View, the popular service that allows Internet users to see high-quality photos of houses and streets around the world.
GOOD for them!!!!!
Broughton's tiny victory for people power is the latest sign of concern about the US Internet juggernaut's collection of vast amounts of data, from satellite photos on Google Earth to the searches performed by Internet users and the shopping habits of e-mail users....
Street View debuted in the United States in 2007 and has since spread to countries including France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and Japan. It launched in Britain last month, sparking a debate about freedom of information and the right to privacy. Street View has sparked concern elsewhere as well. In the United States, Google removed images of shelters for battered women....
For months, Google's Street View vehicle - a car with a pole-mounted revolving camera protruding from the top - has been roaming the streets of Britain, capturing 360-degree images of streets, and the people on them. Since the service launched, millions of Britons have gone online to look at their own houses or landmarks like the Houses of Parliament. But some government buildings and the area around the prime minister's Downing Street home have been removed....
Same with Dick Cheney's house here, so WTF?
Some people's privacy is more important than others, hmm?
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