Google Launches ‘Street View’ Charm Offensive

US Internet giant Google Tuesday launched a charm offensive for its controversial “Street View” navigation service, aiming to soothe the privacy doubts of a sceptical German public.

Attending the CeBIT high-tech fair, the world’s biggest, for the first time, Google showcased three of their “Street View” cars — sleek, black Opels with eight mounted cameras to take pictures of streets, buildings and cities.

The software, based on photographs which create 3-D imagery, allows surfers to “walk” through the streets of cities such as New York, Paris or Hong Kong.

Launched in the United States in 2007, it is already available in several European countries, including France and Britain, but it has come under attack from privacy campaigners, concerned about being snapped without their consent.

Germany, where Google intends to launch the technology this year, is especially sensitive to the issue after abuses of privacy by the Nazis and the communists in the past.

Read More: AFP