British Village Chases Out Google Street View 'Spy'

Mob of wealthy villagers feared Google could help burglars case their houses
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 3, 2009 3:23 AM CDT
British Village Chases Out Google Street View 'Spy'
A Google Street View camera car waits at a light on Bury Place in London last year.   (Getty Images)

Google's attempt to add the scenic English village of Broughton to Street View was foiled by angry villagers, the Guardian reports. Residents, fearing that internet closeups of their homes would be an invitation to burglars, formed a human barrier to block the Google camera car after being alerted by a neighbor and forcing it to retreat.

"How dare anyone take a photograph of my home without my consent?" asked one angry resident of the wealthy village, who sounded the alarm as soon as he saw the car with the tell-tale 360-degree camera on its roof.  Google says people are entitled to have photos of their homes removed from Street View—but only after the pictures have appeared. (More Britain stories.)

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