Google Maps removes some “obscene” photos

22nd April 2009

AFP reports that Google company has removed some photos from the database of Google Maps service, pictures were made on the streets of British cities. Street View project, which allows viewing city streets form the ground, was started in Britain on Thursday.
However, after a day, they have to remove some pictures because of the complaints on the violation of privacy. For example, they removed the photo with a man going out of the sex-shop. Also the photo was removed, where a visitor one of London's pubs was photographed, he was vomiting in the street after he has had a drink too many. They didn`t name the total number of withdrew, but noted that “they were less than was expected”.
Internet users, who don`t want to see on Google Maps the pictures of their houses, or themselves, can report this by filling out an online form. Google also says that they dither images of people and license plates of cars by using a special program. They collect images for Street View in cars equipped with cameras, which travel along the cities. This service was started in the United States in May 2007 and is already available in the UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.