Google drives into Indian streets

Google's ‘Street View' feature, which sparked off privacy concerns in various countries including the US, starts operations in India. The feature, part of Google Maps, provides a 360-degree panoramic view of streets from various angles and positions. Google, starting today, will capture images of streets in Bangalore, before moving on to other cities.

Ever since Street View's launch in 2007 in the US, Google has faced a series of allegations of invasion of privacy from the public, including a law suit in Pittsburgh, which Google ultimately won. A Swiss court recently ruled that the Street View feature broke privacy rules and the company must take extra precautions to obscure people's faces caught on camera.

Amid controversies and concerns, Google kicks off its India project on the Bangalore roads. But the company says it understands privacy issues and promises to safeguard people's privacy. “We are only capturing images of public places. We will blur all faces and licence plates on automobiles,” says Mr Vinay Goel, Head of Products, Google India.

But is this safe especially considering the looming threat of terrorism in the country? Mr Goel says: “Technology makes things easy for everybody – for people with good and bad intentions. We are not giving any more information than what can be seen from outside the gate. We will work with local authorities to ensure there are no violations. In the case of monuments, we will obtain permission from the tourism department. In case there is an inadvertent mistake on the imagery, users can report the problem and it will be corrected real time.”

On possible stand-off with the Government, Mr Goel says he sees no reasons for that and no concerns have been expressed by authorities so far. “We are open to dialogues if any issues crop up.” Google says it has stated its intentions to map streets in India to the Centre.

Benefits

Google says enterprises and general users can derive many benefits from the Street View mapping feature. For instance, users can locate their favourite stores easily or show party guests where they live. Potential buyers of property can take a virtual walk through the neighbourhood before making a decision.

People can also locate parking spots before visiting places. Business establishments, shops and hotels gain tremendous mileage being present on Street View – they can even incorporate the Street View images on to their Web site.

Fire and police departments may also find this service handy, says Mr Goel. It will also help the Government in urban planning and tourism.

Starting Thursday, Google branded cars and trikes (which look like rickshaws) will ply the city roads with cameras.

Google is working with the Bangalore police in this regard. Nrityagram Dance Village is the first privately-owned destination to be on Street View.

Over time, the company hopes to cover the entire country but is not willing to give a timeline. It also does not know when the Bangalore exercise will be over or when the street views will be available online.

Google, despite challenges, has launched Street View in 27 countries, including Western Europe, Singapore, Australia and Japan.

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