Google recently launched Street View in Canada, including major cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, among others. Google Street View first launched in May 2007, it allows users to virtually navigate neighbourhoods. The technology behind Street View is interesting, last summer Google cars equipped with directional cameras on their roofs captured the images by driving down city streets, and there are Google tricycles for those hard-to-reach locations.

Street View has come under fire since it’s launch, people think it is infringing on the privacy of those found in its images. Google has said in a statement that it has “gone to great lengths to ensure Canadians privacy”. I guess that is what they mean when faces and car license plates are blurred out in its images, to ensure that you can’t identify anyone. You can also report a problem to Google if there is image there that you would like taken down. They will also remove images that people find offensive.

I personally think Google Street View is really neat. Since when was it illegal to take a picture of something and put it on the internet? That’s all this is. They claim the images are representatives of what the public would see walking down the street, hence the name. The images are panoramic, high quality 360-degree views. Street View is a really neat way to virtually travel through neighbourhoods to see what they look like, it can be practical tool in planning previewing future travels and looking up driving directions, etc, the list goes on. You can also play ‘Where’s Waldo?’ and look for yourself in the images, I did not find myself sadly. 😉

This topic has taken on a lot of news attention that’s for sure and controversy, Google Street View captured images of the recent Toronto garbage strike, showing the one playground full of garbage! Isn’t that the way we want the world to see us eh? Also images have been found of people coming out of strip clubs, people sunbathing in their yards, and people sleeping near garbage bins. Also lots of websites have popped up with people posting the funniest images that were found captured on Google Street View like people being arrested on the side of the street, and people having sex apparently!

What do you make of Street View, harmless fun or Orwellian surveillance nightmare? And what are the most interesting images you have found so far?

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