Google has taken a lot of flack for its Google Street View service, a street-level offshoot of Google Maps that allows people to navigate down streets despite not being anywhere near those streets.  Opponents say it’s an invasion of privacy to capture images in such a manner.  Google went to court with Aaron and Christine Boring of Franklin Park, Pennsylvania, who said that Google’s Street View camera came onto their property via a private road.  Google lost the privacy lawsuit and was issued a punitive fine to the tune of $1.

“This is about right and wrong. Maybe my client and I are hopeless romantics, but I suppose some people said the same thing in 1950 about a male executive calling female staff ‘sweetie/honey,’ or African Americans just sitting a few seats farther in the back of the bus,” said the Boring lawyer and master of hyperbole, Gregg Zegarelli.  “This is one sweet dollar of vindication.  Google could have just sent us an apology letter in the very beginning, but chose to try to prove they had a legal right to be on our land.  We are glad they finally gave up.”

It’s amazing that this lawsuit was settled over one dollar, but in a way it’s refreshing.  For once, someone was suing over principles, not monetary gain.  Google’s got a lot of money set aside to handle privacy concerns, and it’s great to see that once the point was proven that Google was in the wrong, that the punishment fit the crime.  You can’t control or escape Google, you can only hope they learn their lesson and are more careful about obeying no trespassing signs.

Tags: Google, Google Street View, lawsuits, Google sued for trespassing, Google Maps, Google fined

[tags]Google, Google Street View, lawsuits, Google sued for trespassing, Google Maps, Google fined $1 for trespassing, Google loses Street View trespassing lawsuit, Cathy Bissoon, Franklin Park, Pennsylvania, Aaron Boring, Christine Boring, Gregg Zegarelli, Google loses $1 lawsuit, Google trespassing[/tags]

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