Journal #8

“Google Spy: Zooming in on Neighbors, Nose-Pickers, and Sunbathers with Street View.” by Michael Agger

Google has introduced yet another new feature to their ever expanding world on the internet. They now have a tool that will show you a picture of a specific street. This picture will include homes, apartments, businesses, cars, pets in windows, and people walking down the street. It even has a zoom option, so that if you can’t quite make out the breed of that dog, you can get an up close and personal view of that golden retriever.

Some individuals argue that this new tool of Google’s is stepping way over the line when it comes to privacy boundaries. Google’s argues that they have only taken pictures of objects on public streets, things that anyone walking down the street could say. The company has made an effort though to ensure some level of privacy. The site has a page where one can report things that should be private. The company also works with organizations such as domestic-violence shelters to keep them safe.

Although I agree that with the author that this could be a useful tool for future scholars, I do believe that Google does not have the right to do this. People do have a right to privacy. Individuals who are under federal government protection could be at risk if they are photographed outside of their homes. I think that Google should make an attempt to make things as safe as possible. For example, if you get a picture of a license plate number, just crop it out of the picture digitally. If Google really wants this new tool to become popular, they have to make as much of an effort as possible to make it trustworthy in the eyes of the public.

1. How would this apply to the classroom and learning environments?
This could prove to be an exceptional tool for students. For a student studying the pyramids of Egypt, they could get an exceptional view and tour of the pyramids without ever leaving their homes or school. A student who wants to see the Eiffel Tower up close and personal could do so. This would be a wonderful tool for students and teachers alike.
2. Should this new tool be moderated by someone other than Google?
I think that if Google can not ensure the safety of individuals or not for profit groups such as the domestic-violence shelter, that they should be monitored by an external group. Putting any individual’s safety at risk unnecessarily is unacceptable. Therefore, it is our duty as a society to make sure that a private company as Google does not overstep its boundaries and take liberties that it does not have.