Google has been banned from taking any more pictures for
its controversialStreet Viewservice in Greece pending
further investigation by local data protection
authorities.
Google's
Street View service was introduced to the UK in March with the
support of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Privacy groups have
challenged Street View, but the ICO says the service will stay
because Google has taken steps to protect privacy by blurring
people's faces and car registration number.
However, the Greek Data Protection Authority has ordered Google
to stop recording images in the streets of Greece until the firm
discloses how long it tends to keep those images.
The Greek Data Protection Authority also wants Google to give
details of what it is doing to warn locals that they are likely to
be photographed and to inform them of their rights.
In the UK, the ICO last month told Privacy International that
the removal of the Google service would be "disproportionate" to
the relatively small risk to privacy.