A couple of weeks ago Search Engine Journal covered the controversy behind Google StreetView and their Google Armada trespassing on private property and filming homes and the happenings on such property despite obvious no trespassing postings.
The story was about a small St. Paul Minnesota suburb named North Oaks, which is a private city of 4,500. In North Oaks, the community is owned by the residents and the streets are private property. Google Maps ignored the no trespassing ordinance, entered the private property, and then shot the entire community, leading NorthOaks to issue a demand that Google Maps remove images of the homes and locations shot from the private streets from Google Maps StreetView.
In the post, I had mentioned that I too live in a private community, albeit smaller, of 200 or so residents living in condos. Our community has postings on each entrance that state that the land is private property, the lanes are private lanes, there is to be no trespassing, trespassers can be prosecuted and that no businesses or traffic is allowed on the property without the consent of a resident.
At the time of the posting, I had noted that Google was intelligent enough to take warning to the notifications in my community, but over the weekend, I noticed that this was not the case.
Google Invaded My Property!
Google Maps has invaded the privacy of my private community, photographed properties from private lanes, photographed my automobile from private lanes and ignored NO TRESPASSING ordinances which are located throughout the community.
Google Maps has invaded the privacy of all 200 residents in our private community and I have caught Google trespassing!
Here is a video of the footage Google has taken of my private community and proof that they have ignored private property laws.
This is a major issue because Google is ignoring local laws, entering private property across the United States and filming that property without the permission of property owners.
- Why is Google ignoring No Trespassing laws when other businesses are expected to do so?
- Why is Google filming private property and expecting residents to opt-out instead of not trespassing in the first place?
- How long is it going to take for Google to risk the well being of their StreetView drivers? Is it going to wait until one is restrained by a property owner?
- Not every private property owner in the country is going to do a search for their property on Google Maps, so Google is getting away with a lot of this trespassing without the knowledge of owners.
- Private property is marked Private for a reason, be it children or dogs or residents looking for peace and quiet, is it Google’s agenda to break the privacy rights of these residents?
I will be sharing this documented invasion of privacy with the other owners in my community who will vote on whether or not to take action against Google and other similar services, it’s my responsibility to do so. Hopefully we’ll have an update next week.
Comments
23 responses so far ↓
df guy on Jun 17, 2008 at 9:59 am
dude, just sue the crap out of them. it’s sad, but this is the only thing that companies know or care about… money. i wouldn’t even give them a take down notice, i would just hire the biggest scum bag lawyer you could fine.
Chris Garrett on Jun 17, 2008 at 10:11 am
Hope someone in your community is a lawyer ;)
George on Jun 17, 2008 at 10:45 am
Yes, either that or just take a minute to wipe the sand out of your butt.
Take it easy dude, it’s not a threat to your privacy, use some common sense.
Loren Baker, Editor on Jun 17, 2008 at 10:57 am
@George “wipe the sand out of my butt”?
you don’t think that Google or another company trespassing onto private property which is clearly labeled as so and photographing the property is an issue?
George on Jun 17, 2008 at 11:04 am
@Loren - I’m sorry, it was a crude comment, I shouldn’t have phrased it that way. please accept my sincere apology.
The point I wanted to make is that I don’t think it’s an issue at all…are you offended that they ignored the sign, or do you genuinely feel your privacy has been compromised?
George on Jun 17, 2008 at 11:14 am
On second thought, I want to redact my comments anyway. The rant about the ice cream man and google thinking they’re better just sounds childish to me, but it’s not my property, and not my ‘rights’ bring infringed on, so it’s hard for me to have an opinion. Feel free to delete my comments.
Todd Mintz on Jun 17, 2008 at 11:40 am
Sure, it was wrong but I wouldn’t ascribe any evil to the act and I’m sure once the right people are notified, they’ll remove the content.
Joe on Jun 17, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I disagree with your perspective based on a few basic arguments you make:
* “Civil rights […] to privacy”
There is not any laws or amendments that grant or secure privacy of property. Even if you invested in a sign or two that state “Private Property” or “No Trespassing” — it is ineffective, as evidenced by Google. A property owner may contact their local law enforcement to enforce trespassing laws in your area.
* “… threat to privacy […] hours that people are home…”
It doesn’t risk anyone’s privacy by merely documenting the property. No criminal would rely on Google to learn when people are home or not.
* “Right to restrain […] trespassers.”
Citizens Arrest does not include trespassing by itself. It allows citizens arrest if you observe a felony taking place — not misdemeanors.
—
I believe if you want to prevent video surveillance from the public, then install a gated entrance that requires an RFID. It would be reasonable that Google may make a U-turn and snap pictures of the other complex.
Again, Google isn’t violating your civil rights by merely driving down the street and recording snapshots of its findings. They may be violating local ordinances, but certainly not enough to prosecute with.
You may probably want to add “No photography” on the Private Property signs, so you can make a more compelling case against Google’s practices.
Personally, I wouldn’t care if someone sees a picture of my house. Of which, is public record anyhow under the FOIA.
I do agree that Google should respect private properties and not include them in their indexes, but I wouldn’t exactly call it illegal.
Jim on Jun 17, 2008 at 12:26 pm
This is a case of people that think they are better
than anyone else. It is a shame that the world has
came to this. Money as they said in the Older Days “The Root Of All Evil” What difference does it make if somebody takes a picture of yor home. According to the law it is not illegal to do it.
Joe on Jun 17, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I can imagine Loren getting out of his house for the Ice Cream truck passing through and hassling him for slinging some Drumsticks.
The purpose of the Street View is to give people a 3D visual of a road and neighborhood. It isn’t to violate people’s alleged privacy. I’d find many more things to rant about, than about this.
Loren Baker, Editor on Jun 17, 2008 at 1:38 pm
“The purpose of the Street View is to give people a 3D visual of a road and neighborhood.”
Right, but not of a private lane.
Actually, owners have issued an order to keep businesses like the ice cream man out of the area along with businesses distributing advertising and phone books, things along that nature.
Sure, in the video my opinion is taken to an extreme, but it is to prove a point. If you woke up one morning to find someone standing in your yard or driveway, and not the public road, snapping pictures of your home, what would be your reaction?
In this case, there is no difference.
Sushubh on Jun 17, 2008 at 1:42 pm
for google everything illegal is just fair use.
George on Jun 17, 2008 at 1:50 pm
“If you woke up one morning to find someone standing in your yard or driveway, and not the public road, snapping pictures of your home, what would be your reaction?
In this case, there is no difference.”
There is a difference, the van didn’t drive into your driveway and start snapping pictures of your house specifically. You’re still exaggerating the opinion even outside the video.
Loren Baker, Editor on Jun 17, 2008 at 1:57 pm
“the van didn’t drive into your driveway and start snapping pictures of your house specifically”
Yes, it did, but all of the places on the private driveway.
Sushubh on Jun 17, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Loren would be happy to see this…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/damianspain/2584019149/sizes/m/in/set-72157605643949010/
Loren Baker, Editor on Jun 17, 2008 at 2:49 pm
@Sushubh .. LOL.. don’t get me wrong, I LOVE StreetView, I think it’s an incredibly useful tool. But they really have to obey the law and not trespass on people’s personal property. Google is not above the law, and you can’t opt-out of the law.
Sushubh on Jun 17, 2008 at 2:53 pm
well i love it too. would love them to try indexing our streets. :)
MikeM on Jun 17, 2008 at 10:34 pm
They invaded your privacy Loren, period. People move into gated or private neighborhoods for a variety of reasons, one is for security.
I have no doubts whatsoever that theifs and burglars use Street View to case properties.
My years working with hard core juvenile delinquents on the county and state level lead to me to this conclusion.
If my charges/clients would have had this tool back then it would have been the talk of the detention center(s).
Google is kind enough to give the perps an overhead view as well as the street view.
Opt out should be easy and oft used.
Good luck Loren, Google overstepped here.
Jonathon on Jun 18, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Loren, I mean honestly. You may have a valid complaint that you don’t want your property featured on Google, and if you own all your own land then of course you can set rules about who is able to enter onto it. But having played about with Street View it’s clear that Google makes it SO easy to report this stuff, and from everything I’ve heard they react pretty quickly, so I’m simply bemused that you thought the best way of defending your privacy wasn’t to get the content discretely and quickly removed by Google, but to make a big splash on this site going on and on about it and showing everyone exactly where you live. If you were doing it to ‘make a point’ then in my mind that actually makes you worse than Google - did you get the permission of the other 199-or-so residents to flash their private details around like this. And lets face it, this is a project that requires people to drive around in cars all day with big old cameras on the roof. I’m sure Google’s not applying that 3.5 GPA to that hiring process, and your sign doesn’t look all that obvious to me. To err is human, to make such a song and dance about a simple human error is, well, I’ll let you decide.
Phil Pham on Jun 30, 2008 at 2:03 pm
That is a nice feature that google offer. let says, when you google an address, you don’t know what it will be like when you drive up there. Now with streetview, you will know a head what building/house you are expecting.
You guys just want to sue on everything. This country is working hard for the lawyers.
Those of you who suggest suing google, I hope one day someone will sue you.
David on Jul 2, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Loren, I agree with you 100%
Google would be pissed if I did a drive thru picture taking of their campus.
Didnt google get busted a while ago for posting copyrighted works.
The “ask for forgiveness instead of permission” is getting really old with them.
frank bennett on Jul 22, 2008 at 12:36 pm
suppose the government said no pictures of their land; like the Ocean or the Mountain ranges- what side would you be on then
Improve My Gas Mileage
John Lee on Jul 25, 2008 at 10:23 am
I hope with that private property, we don’t pay for your roads….
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