Privacy Concerns Raised as Google Street View Returns to India

After being banned in India for security reasons about six years ago, last year Google has reintroduced Street View in India.

In 2016, India declined Google's proposal to capture images for its Street View feature, citing security concerns related to sensitive defense installations.

According to reports from local media outlets at the time, the government was worried that the technology could potentially assist terrorist activities. India has been worried for a long time that its military facilities and high-security regions could be targeted, and like several other countries, it has insisted on controlling how international boundaries and disputed borders of the country are depicted.

Last year Google secretly launched its services in India without any hue and cry. 99% of India’s population is still not aware of the features and its potential ramifications. The 99% population and the remaining 1% may not be aware of the fact that Google is taking pictures of their homes with such precision that you can count even rims on your windows. 

If anyone does not want a picture of their home on Google there is a lengthy, complicated and cumbersome process. You have to write a mail to Google to remove pictures of your street. Google will then take a few weeks to remove it. 

The issue that crops up is  why an additional burden is imposed on citizens to report their locality and home and request Google to blur it. The right to privacy is a fundamental right of the citizen and no private party or government can infringe on it. Citizens must not be burdened with this duty to report to Google. 

Many are not aware about the process and are not tech-literate to report such issue. Hence it is highly unreasonable for the giant to expect Indian citizens to report this on Google. 

As per Supreme Court citizens must be in full control of how their private spaces are recorded, and how this data is used. In this present factual scenario neither Google nor the government has any policy in this respect.

There are scores of ramifications of this like Burglars may closely examine a house that they're considering breaking into, searching for weak spots and entry points that could provide them with easy access to the property.

Companies have the ability to determine whether your house requires any products or services, such as windows or siding, that they can offer to you through solicitation.

Till the time Google forms a policy and the Government intervenes here is a link you can access to know how you can request Google to blur your home or street.

PS - Given the Google Algorithm this particular write-up won’t be shown in the search results as this may affect their business interest. Also on performing a general enquiry on Google regarding the invasion of privacy you will be shown the article supporting Google Street View. The articles reprobating this feature of Google will be scarce on Google.