Google Street View cameras catch people off-guard every day, so the tech giant automatically blurs the face of anyone who appears in a Street View image.
But what happens when the image shows a little more skin than the subject would like to have displayed for the entire world to see? And what if — in spite of her blurred face — that subject is easily identifiable because she’s sitting on her front porch with her address and license plates clearly visible?
When Montreal resident Maria Pia Grillo found a photo of herself leaning forward on her doorstep, she was embarrassed by how much of her cleavage was displayed for the whole world to see online. Two years after discovering the photo, the bank employee filed a lawsuit demanding $45,000 for harm inflicted due to alleged mocking from her coworkers. She also requested that Google blur out her entire body, address, and license plate.
This is the grainy photo in question, captured before Google blurred the entire scene from their system…
Via: PetaPixel
Google agreed to blur the areas requested, but argued that they weren’t responsible for any emotional harm that occurred as a result of the photo.
The judge ruled that while Google wasn’t responsible for Grillo’s emotional distress, being in a visible place where someone can be seen does not mean that person forfeits their right to privacy.
For this violation of privacy, the judge ordered Google to pay the woman $2,250 plus interest and an additional $159 in court costs.
While Americans place a high value on free expression, which generally would permit the use of a photo of someone in public, the judge opted to take what he dubbed a “European approach” to privacy in determining what qualified as “personal information.”
Regardless of the public’s opinion of the case, Google’s incredible volume of images ensures it won’t be the last of its kind.
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