“The Czech Republic’s privacy watchdog says Google has not been granted permission to expand its mapping feature ‘Street View’ because it invades peoples’ privacy,” MSNBC reports.
“The Office for Personal Data Protection last week refused Google Inc. the necessary registration for “Street View” in the eastern European country but did not explain why. Google then considered it a temporary decision,” MSNBC reports. “Office head Igor Nemec says Google uses means that “disproportionately invade citizens’ privacy.” Nemec said Wednesday that Google also does not have a proper legal representative on Czech territory to handle personal data.”
“The U.S. Internet giant has come under fire from authorities across Europe over privacy concerns, most recently for vacuuming up fragments of people’s online activities sent over public Wi-Fi networks for years while taking shots of city streets,” MSNBC reports. “With calls for regulation intensifying, officials in Germany met Internet firms on Monday to try to reconcile the country’s strict data protection rules with programs like ‘Street View.'”
MSNBC reports, “In Germany, where the debate on surveillance is tinged with memories of the role played by the Nazis’ Gestapo and the East German Stasi secret police, doubts have been raised about the transparency of the project, which Google calls a helpful tool.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Well, at least Eric T. Mole still has Google Earth with which to ogle Czechs.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]