Most of Europe has been pretty litigious with Google in regard to the Street View service. But Germany has arguably been the most quarrelsome, demanding Google hand over data it collected and publicize where it’s going to be taking pictures. Citizens also could demand their homes be blurred out. Which, when you think about it, is just weird. Why would having your house be blurry change anything? Now Google has said, “Screw it. We’ll stop doing this in Germany altogether. We were just trying to make some maps and help people get around. But fine. Whatever. If you can’t handle this then never mind. Sorry. WhatEVER.*”
Google will continue to feature the images collected since last summer when the program began in Germany but no new pictures will be taken. Curiously, a recent decision in the German courts ruled that street photography was legal.
*paraphrase
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