Welcome to the Panopticon, part 2

[julesjones]

I lived in Google's home town for several years, which meant that I got to be part of some of their experiments -- whether I liked it or not. Amongst other things, I was one of the first group of people to get to see my front door on Google Street View, which resulted in some mutterings about disappearing privacy and the panopticon society at the time.

These days I'm living in the UK. And the UK edition of Street View went live this week, complete with face-blurring technology to respect the privacy of the citizens of a country that has at least a nod towards data protection. Let's see, now... Looks like the street where I live didn't have a visit from the Googlecam, but the street where I work did. And I recognise the figure on the front steps of the office block, even with face-blurring technology. Maybe I'll tell him tomorrow...

Comments

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I was expecting to be on camera every where I went in the UK. And I know they use face recognition software to match everyone the cameras see with their list of known "problematicals". [I'm not saying it's NOT used over here, we're just not quite so open about bugging everyone's phones and email and similar]

Compared to the U.S., I expected no privacy at all.

[julesjones]

Quote from the comment thread on my original post:
"I first saw my back garden on a satellite photo online nearly ten years ago, and you're never far from a security camera in the urban UK, so I've long been used to the idea that there's no privacy outside. What startled me about the Google Maps Street View was the resolution available on a free public website."

It's that *anyone* can look at this stuff, which means that there's a lot more potential for abuse than when it was just bored spooks, police, and security guards.

But there are a lot of useful applications as well. Amongst other things, it's going to be a wonderful research tool for writers, and probably useful for inspiration as well.

I just took a virtual walk past the house where my grandparents used to live. It was strangely disturbing to not quite recognise the street, to have to check the number next to the front door to be sure I had the right place, even with a clear memory of what the sightlines across the junction were like. But it's over 25 years since I last visited that house (even if I've driven past on the way to visit friends living in the next street), so I really shouldn't be surprised that it's changed to the point of being hard to recognise. There are tall trees lining a road that I remember as having no trees at all...

[zeborah]

For many things, I prefer it to be available to everyone than available to only bored security guards. Bored spooks and police I don't mind, but security guards... have a bad rap. At least it's available to everyone then you *know* you're not private and can plan for it, whereas when it's only available to security guards you might not be aware or might not be thinking about it.

[(Anonymous)]

I haven't dared look at it yet - I'm sure I'll turn up doing something completely inappropriate... :D

Fiona
fiona-glass.com

[siri-eerin.livejournal.com]

I'm going to go an take a look at this myself.

[julesjones]

Do pay attention to a certain address in Manchester...

[siri-eerin.livejournal.com]

I fully intend to.

[siri-eerin.livejournal.com]

Scratch that previous comment.....I saw said member of staff. Haha.