Swiss Govt. Not So Neutral On Google Street View

A Swiss privacy official issued a statement demanding that Google “immediately withdraw its online service Google Street View concerning Switzerland on friday.” Thuer apparently did some Street View browsing of his own and felt that Google hadn’t adequately blurred license plates and people’s faces.

According to InformationWeek, the Swiss complaint came as a surprise. “We were surprised by the FDPIC’s announcement. We have been engaged in constructive dialogue with the organization ahead of [last] week’s launch to demonstrate how we protect people’s privacy on Street View,” says a Google spokesperson.

Thuer met with Google reps today — Google called the meeting “a good exchange of views” and indicated they’re open to additional discussions. Google says very few Swiss users have asked Google to remove Street View images, and when they have, the deletions happen within hours “in most cases.”

In fact, Swiss consumers seem to be quite happy with the service. Google attorney Peter Fleischer tells the AP that “Google Maps had an 80 percent increase in volume and only a small number of requests to erase pictures.”