Greeks Set To Ban Google Street View

It seems that authorities in Greece are not at all convinced by the benefits offered by Google’s Street View application and have decided to stop the search giant from adding any more images from Greece to its controversial application. 

Raising serious concerns related to privacy issues, the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) has passed an order restricting Google from taking any images for Street View till it offers additional information that the agency seeks. 

The authority has explicitly asked Google to clarify the duration for which the captured images will be retained and also inquired about the steps that the search giant wants follow for protecting the privacy rights of people captured on camera 

In a statement the HDPA mentioned "The authority has reserved judgment on the legality of the service pending the submission of additional information, and until that time will not allow Google to start gathering photographs." 

Incidentally the authority had previously stopped a comparable mapping service operated by the Greek company Kapou and many believe it was a matter of time till Google’s Street View would have come into its radar.  

Greece is not the only country where Google Street View has courted controversies and latest order only highlights the kind of challenges it may experience in near future.  

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