Google to explain Street View to local bodies in Japan

before releasing images

[bill]

This probably won't solve much of anything. I'm guessing it may add another level of bureaucracy to things. The Japanese do like to get a consensus on issues like this though... ;)

Google to explain Street View to local bodies in Japan before releasing images [mdn.mainichi.jp]

Google Japan has announced that it intends to inform local bodies in advance before releasing images for its Street View map service, in light of privacy concerns.

...

"There shouldn't be regulations that hinder the development of technology, but if it is judged that it is harming personal interests, then there is a need for relief measures. It is a problem that is difficult to balance," he said.

[Leggewie]

I think Japanese are quite paranoid about privacy - at times ;-) But it's probably just some competitor (Yahoo?) that has some high-level friends they are now leveraging...

[GrendelKhan TSU]

I think Japanese are quite paranoid about privacy

I think koreans would them a good run for their money on who's worse about it. heh. +_+

It wouldn't be so bad if they were consistent about it. eg: they freak out about privacy with census data for marketing, but sign for EVERYTHING using their Korean national ID number (kinda like one's social security number). Go figure.

[bill]

Google Maps Japan has done a pretty good job fuzzing out the faces of people on the street view. I can still recognize a bunch of people from my neighborhood though.

I heard that a number of the original complaints came from people frequenting Japanese love hotels and the brothel districts. I guess they didn't want their indiscretions disclosed by Google. ;)

it's probably just some competitor (Yahoo?) that has some high-level friends they are now leveraging...

If there is then I haven't heard of them yet. It's certainly a good possibility though. Google has supplanted a lot of local services in Japan...

[GrendelKhan TSU]

Google Maps Japan has done a pretty good job fuzzing out the faces of people on the street view. .... original complaints came from people frequenting Japanese love hotels and the brothel districts. I guess they didn't want their indiscretions disclosed by Google.

I guess Korea and Japan are the same on some things. o_0
lol.

Related funny anecdotal aside: Same type ironic (yet more ridiculous imo) issue came up when the Korean post office wanted to implement a "change of address" forwarding program like they have in the US (and most places). All the unscrupulous types on the lamb (avoiding creditors, loan sharks..er... book of the month subscribers =P lol) cried foul on privacy of "being tracked".

I mean sheeesh! one should have to right to ditch out on a bad loan without "the man" having it forwarded to you, right? RIGHT?!

-- Grendel"on the lamb"Khan{TSU} :p