Police, Camera, Action!

Last summer, Google went around 25 cities in Britain, drive-by shooting 22,369 miles of road – taking pretty pictures, I mean. Sewn together, these 2D images have created Street View, not so much a 3D map of Britain but a moment trapped in amber – complete with fully-functioning Woolworthses. So it goes.

Aside the comical spottings (although Google Earth might have better comedy potential), there are security concerns.

Some people with a less-than-informed grasp of technology (and perhaps reality) (goaded no doubt by the, sigh, Daily Mail) have noted that this is a breach of civil liberties and now, using this tool, anyone can stalk you remotely from anywhere in the world. Or at least the you from eight months or so ago when the photos were taken. If they know your address. And you were there at the time the photo was taken. And they’ve not got better things to be doing like, y’know, rearranging their socks into alphabetical order or something.

Me, I’m just miffed there’s a Winnebago parked outside my gaff, obscuring the view.

Sidestepping privacy issues like a ballet-dancing crab, Matt Brittin, head of Google UK, said that the company has had discussions with the Metropolitan police "and they have said it actually helps track and monitor crime."

But what puzzles me is how Google got around section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, which makes it illegal to photograph police officers – the Government claims that it is for security purposes but maybe Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is worried about police officers having their souls stolen or some such voodoo witchcraft. (Incidentally, as Mark Thomas has pointed out, you *can* still take photos of Community Support Officers and if they try to nick you, you can report them for impersonating a police officer – smirk).

Did they pick a day when there were no police officers on the street (insert comment about “bobbies on the beat” here)? Or did the Google cameras shy away from police stations/donut shops/collections of ethnics in need of a good frisking and possibly a shooting?

I would trawl through Street View trying to find an answer, but my underwear drawer won’t sort itself out.