Google has expressed disappointment over the Swiss data
protection authority's decision to take concerns over the search
company'sStreet Viewservice to court.
Swiss information commissioner Hanspeter Thür claims Google has
not done enough to make
faces and vehicle number plates unrecognisable in the street
level photographs provided by the service.
But Google says the service was introduced two months ago only
after it had been given the green light by Thür following several
meetings.
"We met with the Swiss Data Protection Authority before and
after the launch, explaining our technology and, where requested,
proposing steps that would reinforce Street View's
privacy-protection and assuage any concerns," said Peter Fleischer,
global privacy counsel for Google.
The decision to take the matter to court is "regrettable" and
suggests the Swiss Data Protection Authority is unwilling to engage
with the solutions Google has offered, he said.
Google listed five proposals submitted to the Swiss Data
Protection Authority in a
blog posting, including setting up channels for feedback and
reporting problems.
"We will contest any case vigorously. Street View has proved
very popular in Switzerland since its launch and Swiss people only
stand to suffer from this decision," said Fleischer.
It is the first time that Google has faced a lawsuit from a
government agency over Street View, according to the
Financial Times.
Privacy groups or regulators in a number of countries, including
the
UK, Italy, Germany and
Japan, have raised concerns about Street View, but Google has
negotiated measures to assure them.