Google Street View Image Update

Google this morning announced their first image update for Street View. The area affected is Manhattan, which now has more recent and sharper imagery.

The Google LatLong blog says that Google have also used this opportunity to introduce new face-blurring technology. In recent weeks the Google Street View cars have been spotted all over Europe and Australia. Many European countries have different privacy laws than the United States, for example, in France I believe it is illegal to publish someone's image without their permission. This new face blurring technology is obviously Google's response to these privacy concerns.

Update: Andrew Foster on The Official Google Australia Blog says that Google are "aiming to launch the Street View feature for Google Maps in Australia, later in 2008." Foster goes on to say that "In Australia (and New Zealand), Street View will also feature face-blurring, as well as image removal tools." So I guess New Zealand is going to get Street View this year as well.

Via: Google LatLong: Street View revisits Manhattan

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