Canada chimes in on Google's street shots

I haven't read too much about all of Google's street maps, although I have used Google Earth and have seen some of the pictures (good or bad) that Google's satellite have picked up. And yes, I know it's not actually Google's satellite.

This Drudge report, however, caught my eye: Canada warns Google that 'Street View' likely illegal. Now, granted, Drudge took some liberties with the link-title of the article, but the gist of it is the same. Canada (and not California or any other more probable person) has made this claim: "But the program, which relies on pictures taken without the knowledge or consent of people in them, seems to violate many basic rights of citizens and poses a serious threat to personal privacy." Maybe, but what does that have to do with the price of eggs in China?

Now, one of my good friends is Canadian, so my only interaction with Canadians is along the lines of "we're the best at hockey," "we have the best system of government" and "we have the best beer." There are a couple other things he claims they are the best at, but at those points I usually have stopped paying attention to his rant, since it usually delves into World War II and other US history, which, frankly, he knows nothing about except from whatever he learned from his Canadian elementary teachers.

While I appreciate Canada's concern with our privacy laws, I respectfully submit that it's not their concern. Although this is a bit overstated, I'm a little taken back that, to quote Homer Simpson, "America junior" is even chiming in on this. I see this as maybe a problem for the cities it zooms in on. But you're out in public. You have as much right to privacy on a public street as you do for your garbage. I think there are concerns with it, but they are more policy based ones that I will save for another day.

Now, eventually (maybe) this camera nonsense will work its way through the California court system and perhaps even up to the east coast appellate courts (meaning THE east coast appellate court). But if California or its citizens really had a problem with it, the democratic process certainly would be faster. I have not read anything to indicate that anyone seems to have any concerns with this at the litigation level, and with its stock trading at $522.25, Google's shareholders seem to support what Canada apparently has major problems with.

No legal point to this one, more of just a shot at our friendly neighbors to the north. If only some criminal would cite Canadian privacy policy reason in support of his American reasons for reversal; that would make for an interesting roll of the eye before sitting down to give it its due course and thought.

Tags: google street camera privacy concerns, google privacy