Cars taking photographs for Google Street View will have to be clearly marked if they want to operate in Italy, reports La Stampa.
Italy’s Privacy Authority has also ruled that Google will have to publish its intended itineraries three days in advance in local newspapers, on local radio and on its website so that people can be aware of the cars’ presence in their area and can avoid being photographed if they so wish.
Privacy Authority president Francesco Pizetti says that there have been many complaints about the Google cameras and that in Naples a couple have separated because the wife saw her husband appearing in a window which was not his own on Street View. Mr Pizetti acknowledges that Street View can be a useful tool, particularly for those planning to travel, but insists that the privacy of citizens must be protected.
The announcement comes three days after Google admitted that Street View vehicles in several European countries had accidentally collected personal information about the residents of streets they had photographed. In Italy the company will have to pay fines of €30,000 - €180,000 if it does not comply with the new ruling.
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