Google Opens Up on What Its 'Street View' Cars Collect
By now, Google’s (GOOG) cars have driven down roads around the world — and in some places, they’re sparking concerns about just what information they are collecting.
So the Internet-search giant is opening up a bit about the data it compiles. Google is trying to address criticisms that have been leveled against it in European countries in particular and provided details about Street View cars in a post on its European Public Policy Blog on Tuesday. The company said it had discussed the information before but that it wanted to make it more easily accessible.
Privacy officials from 10 countries, including seven in Europe, sent Google a letter earlier this month outlining several concerns. The letter said Google’s Street View service was “launched in some countries without due consideration of privacy and data protection laws and cultural norms” and said “there is continued concern about the adequacy of the information you provide before the images are captured.”
