Germany gets Street View editing tool

For a limited time only

German authorities were initially reluctant to allow Google to set up its Street View service in the country over privacy concerns.

That didn't stop the outfit sending its cars around German streets anyhow, mapping and photographing the country as it has been most everywhere else and Hoovering up private data from householders' Wi-fi networks where it could get hold of it.

Google's snooping on private networks was first rumbled in Germany and it transpired that it was at it wherever its cars were active, prompting numerous investigations and a few possible court cases.

The tool that allows German users to get themselves edited out - or at least blurred - is here, but only works in Germany and will also only work there for a limited time.

Users elsewhere have to go through the rigmarole of writing to Google, pleading their case to have pictures of themselves or their property removed from the service.