June 12, 2023, 12:44 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
The relationship status between Germany and digitalization is sometimes “complicated.” Google discovered this in 2010 when it wanted to introduce the Street View feature and encountered German data protection laws. Now, after more than 13 years, the outdated Street View maps are finally being updated. TECHBOOK reveals what you need to know about it.
For years, many people have used Google Maps for everyday navigation. The Street View feature is also very popular, whether to preview a specific address, assess the location of a restaurant or vacation rental, or take a short digital trip. Open the Europe map in Google Maps and let the little yellow figure hover briefly in the air. The continent immediately lights up in blue, as each small blue line represents a street where you can place the figure. Paris, Poland, Tuscany–so many places can be virtually explored via Street View. Only in the middle of this blue-lit, digitally mapped landscape is there a green hole. And that hole is Germany.
Overview
Data Protection Debate Much More Relaxed
When Google announced in 2008 that it would send its Street View camera cars into major German cities to collect images and data, it sparked a major debate on data protection. In a 2010 survey, only 47 percent of respondents said they trusted Google to comply with applicable data protection regulations. Sixteen percent even wanted to object to the recording of their homes, requiring Google to blur the respective houses. Within the first few weeks alone, 245,000 objections were filed, and Google faced a high processing workload. Two hundred people were hired specifically to handle these objections, and it was quickly decided to refrain from further updates.
The result of this pronounced need for privacy could be admired via Street View over the past 13 years: a very sparsely developed Street View network compared to the rest of Europe, with many houses blurred, earning Germany the nickname Blurmany (a combination of blurry and Germany). But this state of blurriness is soon to be a thing of the past. As early as 2019, there were discussions with the responsible German data protection officer when Google moved its headquarters to Ireland, raising the question of responsibility for data protection. Now, however, the starting signal has been given for new Street View maps in Germany.
Read also: The Craziest Images from Google Street View
Finally New Street View Maps
Between June and October 2023, the distinctive camera cars will be on the road again in the 16 federal states, collecting current images. The rise of competitor Apple may have motivated Google to renew the German Street View material after all. Since 2022, Apple Maps has shown significantly more up-to-date street images. Although Google also sent out its camera cars in 2014, 2018, and 2019, the material was only used to complete street names and not for Street View.
The first new Street View maps are expected to be available from mid-July 2023. Unlike 13 years ago, the company is now striving for better communication and greater transparency. It is important to know that previous objections only apply to the old images, not the new ones. If you do not want your home to appear on Street View, you can easily file an objection through one of several options. This right is also secured by the – attention, bureaucratic language – resolution of the Conference of Independent Data Protection Authorities of the Federal and State Governments on preliminary objections to Street View and similar services. As before, Google must blur faces and license plates.
How to File an Objection
- Objection via email: streetview-deutschland@google.com
- Objection by mail: Google Germany GmbH / Attn: Street View / ABC-Straße 19 / 20354 Hamburg
- Objection directly in Google Street View: Open the Street View view of the affected location. Click on “Report a problem” in the dropdown menu. Fill out the form.
The objection does not need to meet any content or formal requirements, nor does it need to be justified. However, it is advisable to keep a record of the correspondence. In individual cases, Google Germany GmbH may verify the legitimacy of the objection–for example, whether it is really the homeowner requesting the blurring. Hamburg’s data protection officer, Thomas Fuchs, does not expect as many objections as in 2010. By now, Germans are likely more accustomed to the tool.
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No Time Travel Through Germany’s Streets
That Google Street View updates its map material every two to three years happens worldwide and allows for a small digital time travel each time. When you call up the Street View view of the desired location, the date appears in the top left, along with the “More periods” field. Here you can track how an area has changed over the years. However, this feature will apparently not be available for Germany. Google decided to remove the outdated material from the view. Whether the data will actually be deleted remains unclear.
Sources
- Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information: “Google Street View: File an Objection” (accessed on 06/12/2023)
- Google Maps: “Update for Google Street View in Germany” (accessed on 06/12/2023)