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Deutsch: Googles Street View steht vor einer Klage in der Schweiz

Switzerland continues its actions against Goggle's Street View service. The Swiss Data Protection Authority has recently expressed its firm intention to bring Google to court on the matter.

In August 2009, the Swiss Privacy Authority asked Google to interrupt the service and make adjustments to improve its face blurring technique. Now, the authority considers that Google has not met its requirements and will take legal action, as previousely warned.

But Swiss data protection Commissioner Hanspeter Thuer believes that: "Numerous faces and vehicle number plates are not made sufficiently unrecognizable." He also expressed concern for the fact that the images obtained by Google cameras show people in sensitive places such as schools, hospitals and that the angle of Google cameras also gives too many details on fences and walls.

Google expressed its disappointment for the Commissioner's move considering the product is completely legal. "We're proud of the blurring technology we've developed for Street View," said Google adding that "we wanted to go the extra mile to address Herr Thuer's concerns," by proposing five additional measures to deliver "improvements in both license plate and face blurring."

Mr Thuer has asked the court to order Google to cease its service in Switzerland and remove all pictures until a ruling has been made. As it may take some months before this happens, Google might be facing an interruption of the StreetView service in Switzerland for some time.

Switzerland takes Google to court (13.11.2009)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8358908.stm

Street View in Switzerland (13.11.2009)
http://googlepolicyeurope.blogspot.com/2009/11/street-view-in-switzerl...

Google's Street View contested in France and Switzerland (26.08.2009)
http://www.edri.org/edri-gram/number7.16/street-view-france-switzerlan...