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Google's Street View Meets Resistance In France

Ian Lamont writes "Google has begun to scan the streets of Paris as part of its Street View service, but the company may be hindered from publishing them unedited. The reason? French privacy laws. Google may be forced to blur faces or use low-resolution versions of the photographs. The Embassy of France in the US has a page devoted to French privacy laws, that says the laws are needed to 'avoid infringing the individual's right to privacy and right to his or her picture (photograph or drawing), both of them rights of personality.'"

5 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. When in Rome... by NoobixCube · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Or in this case, Paris. The law is the law, and Google need to respect the local laws. They do it in China, with their censored Google, so I can't imagine them putting up too much of a fight against French privacy laws.

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    Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
    1. Re:When in Rome... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...can't imagine them putting up too much of a fight...
      so you think THEY will surrender to FRANCE?!

      brain... hurt...
  2. Re:Easily contourné by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What exactly is illegal..

    Yeah, it's a cool thing to be able to browse the streets of a city in 3D, but honestly, who wants their faces, car plates, etc. published for all to see? Not everybody. And until it's everybody then we should assume nobody except with express consent.

    It's a matter of common decency, not just law. I hate it when people talk as though the law is the only thing we should pay any attention to.

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    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  3. Not resistance, but law! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    " Google's Street View Meets Resistance in France"

    It is not resistance, it is the french law.

    As a French citizen, I find the Slashdot title offensive.

    Paris is the capital of a free sovereign country, France, which has its own Constitution and legal system, which is not the US ones!

    The title implies that american law should prevail everywhere! No! France is not a US colony.

    I am sure that most american (& french) citizens would expect French coorporations (e.g. Thales, Air Liquide, ...) to obey American laws on the American soil (e.g. Washington D.C.)

    Why should it be different for Google (an american coorporation) in France?

  4. "Providing those details would be inappropriate" by tmk · · Score: 5, Informative
    Google Street Maps was not welcome in Australia, too. But the newspaper "The Australian" had an interesting idea: the asked Google for the addresses of the Google managers.

    While Google has defended the project, the internet company baulked when The Weekend Australian requested the personal details and addresses of the group's key figures to allow the paper's photographers to take pictures of their homes. "Providing those details would be completely inappropriate," said Google spokesman Rob Shilkin.