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Posted: **Wed 6th Aug 2008 12:52 pm**

Google takes pictures in Amsterdam and Rotterdam for Streetview

published: Wednesday, August 06 2008, 9:41AM

Camera cars of Google Street View have been spotted in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Google StreetView allows Google Maps users to virtually 'walk' through streets in a city, and look around. For the service it is necessary that the entire street is photographed.

After having done 57 cities in the US, Google has now turned to Europe. The cars that take the pictures are recognizable by the large photo camera tripods that are placed on top of the cars.

Google Street View has led to privacy concerns worldwide. The CBP (Holland's official privacy watch dog) has said it has no objection to the pictures being taken. In the US, some people had complained, such as someone whose picture was taken while leaving a striptease club, or someone appeared on the site while sun-bathing. Google now blurs privacy sensitive information, such as pictures of faces, so that they become unrecognizable.

It is unclear when Street View for Amsterdam and Rotterdam will be available online.

Source & pic of Street View Camera

Posted: **Wed 6th Aug 2008 03:54 pm**

i checked out the Sydney one the other day...quite impressive...as soon as i finished i went to see if Amsterdam had theirs going already...can't wait till it gets going..will be lots of fun!

Posted: **Wed 6th Aug 2008 04:23 pm**

Isn't there a lot of talk of this being banned because of privacy issues?

Posted: **Wed 6th Aug 2008 05:16 pm**

Boner wrote:Isn't there a lot of talk of this being banned because of privacy issues?

yes and google is fighting it tooth and nail claiming people on streets, houses, store fronts etc have NO reasonable expectations of privacy...

Posted: **Wed 6th Aug 2008 06:44 pm**

One of them cars was in the Burgh last month, there were pictures of it in the Evening News.

Posted: **Wed 6th Aug 2008 07:03 pm**

Have yet to see one up in these parts. I reckon someone might fire off some buckshot at them if they get to close to the moonshine stills.

Posted: **Thu 7th Aug 2008 10:36 pm**

NirvanaEJ wrote:
Boner wrote:Isn't there a lot of talk of this being banned because of privacy issues?

yes and google is fighting it tooth and nail claiming people on streets, houses, store fronts etc have NO reasonable expectations of privacy...

Blurring faces seems a reasonable compromise. Google are a private profit making company, they can pay to get it done!