Google Street View Could Be Unlawful In Europe

arallsopp writes "European data protection laws restrict the commercial use of photographs where individuals are identifiable. The law sets extra requirements for so-called sensitive personal data: it demands explicit consent, not just notification: 'If Google's multi-lens camera cars come to Europe and inadvertently find themselves taking pictures of persons leaving a church or sexual health clinic, they may just need to pull over and start picking up signatures.'"

Not gonna happen

[El Cabri]

taking pictures of persons leaving a church or sexual health clinic

In godless, sexually liberated Europe, I don't see that happening anyway.

Re:Google doesn't need consent

[richdun]

You have a 5-digit user number, so I won't go with the standard "You must be new here," but come on - making a fuss over problems with trivial and well-known solutions is what we do here.

Modify the van

[Suspended_Reality]

Have you seen the google van [wired.com]? A quick stop in Italy to make some modifications to the van, and you'll get that explicit consent, right boss?

Hey Tony, get out of the van, this guy doesn't wanna sign the consent...

Wanted to get caught...

[iknownuttin]

On an evening in August 1995, a 42-year-old called Geoffrey Peck attempted suicide by cutting his wrists with a kitchen knife while on Brentwood High Street in Essex, England. CCTV cameras caught the action, the council's CCTV operator alerted the police and the police intervened. Peck lived. But still images from the CCTV footage were sold by the local council to the media. Peck took his complaint as far as the European Court of Human Rights and won.

What was he doing in front of cameras while trying to commit suicide?

He sued because he wanted to sell the footage to Rupert Murdoch.

Re:Not gonna happen

[0p7imu5_P2im3]

Why would you consider them godless? They love money almost as much as we do.

Google Pr0n

[Dogtanian]

Have you seen the google van?

"Google van"? It sounds like a version of the Bang Bus [wikipedia.org] for geeks.

Re:Google doesn't need consent

[Yoozer]

Blurring? I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes. Smile!

Yes, well, see...

[Moraelin]

Yes, well, see, that's just what makes it a privacy issue. Being such a godless bunch, we wouldn't want to be caught on photo coming out of a church, would we? What would our godless friends think about that? Beats having to find some quick explanation like, "I... uhh... thought it was a kinky S&M club. You know, what with the naked guy on the cross, and all." ;)

Re:Being in public is not "sensitive personal data

[Anonymous Coward]

>People have no choice but to appear in public occasionally; it shouldn't be used as justification for photographing them, and the law in Europe recognizes this.

Yea man, what do you want us to do? wear a "robots.txt" around our necks?