NEWS: Google is watching you!

Mark McLaughlin
Edinburgh Evening News
July 9, 2008

IT has been branded the latest phase of Big Brother culture, sparking controversy for its creator, Google.

Now the web giant's latest virtual mapping service - Google Street View - is set to launch in the UK amid claims from civil liberties campaigners it could lead to invasions of privacy.

Camera cars have been spotted on the streets of the Capital, photographing roads, landmarks and pedestrians.

Google has refused to deny its cars are in Edinburgh, but is remaining secretive over which cities will be included in the new UK service.

Street View offers virtual street-level city tours in an extension to the popular Google Maps service. Street View tours are currently only available for Manhattan and have already sparked complaints after people were photographed sunbathing and visiting sex shops.

A Google spokeswoman today refused to say if Edinburgh was next. She said: "Edinburgh may be one of the cities included when we launch Street View in Europe

"As with all new products and services here at Google, we spend a considerable amount of effort researching and testing any new initiative. Many times our tests don't directly result in the launch of a product or service, therefore we don't pre-announce them so as not to disappoint."

But the News has obtained an image of a black Astra matching the description of the camera cars outside the Canny Man's pub in Morningside last week.

Google refused to comment on the car, but conceded it is unaware of any other organisation using a similar camera rig in the UK.

The image was taken by Edinburgh-based internet marketing company Bigmouth Media.

Marketing director Iain Bruce said: "We're obviously keen to keep up with everything that they're up to, so we ran a competition in the office to see if anyone could spot one of these cars and we came up with a result very quickly."

UK human rights group Privacy International has complained to the UK Information Commissioner regarding the new programme's alleged potential to breach UK data protection laws after American citizens complained.

A recent Court of Appeal victory by JK Rowling banning photographs of her walking the streets of Edinburgh with her children further extended UK privacy laws regarding street photography, and could potentially be used to restrict Street View's movements.

Simon Davies, Privacy International Director, said: "Google has informed the media that it will institute 'face blurring' technology to ensure legal compliance." However he added there had been problems with the technology. Google has denied such problems exist, adding that it is already in effect in newer versions of Manhattan Street View.

An Information Commissioner spokesman confirmed it was taking the complaints "very seriously" and would be speaking to the parties concerned.

UK civil liberties group No2ID has said the site could also be co-opted by law enforcement agencies and contribute to what it calls "The Database State".

City Centre Councillor David Beckett cautiously welcomed the new website as a potential new tool for marketing the city.

But he added: "While Google have made a commitment to take action to ensure that people included in the photos would not be readily identifiable, I believe further discussions need to take place."