German court calls Google aerial imagery 'spying'

(CN) — A German court on Tuesday ruled Google is breaking Germany’s strict privacy laws by showing people’s properties on its Google Earth and Google Maps services.

The Frankfurt Regional Court equated Google’s satellite and aerial 3D imagery services to “spying” when it displays pictures of property without getting permission.

The ruling came in a case brought by a man in Frankfurt who’d previously forced Google Street View and Apple Look Around to blur photographs of his family’s . The man’s identity has not been disclosed by German courts and media in keeping with the country’s privacy laws.

Google said on Wednesday it “strongly” disagreed with the ruling and that it would appeal.

The Frankfurt court said Google cannot publish aerial imagery of properties, and especially areas not visible from a public street, without the consent of property owners. Besides being an invasion of privacy, aerial imagery could be used by burglars, the panel of judges ruled.

“Nobody must accept the worldwide publication of aerial images of their property without their consent, at least when concerning areas of a property hidden from public view,” the court said, as reported by Deutsche Welle, a German state broadcaster.

The judges also determined Google must provide property owners with advance notice when an area is photographed.

Google countered that it was providing a public service through its aerial imagery, but the court rejected that argument.

“The views provided in Google Earth and Google Maps are used for a wide range of purposes — such as urban planning, environmental research and disaster relief — making them a highly valuable service for millions of people,” a Google spokesperson said. “The imagery consists of a mosaic of satellite and aerial photographs from a variety of providers, and similar views can also be found in various other publicly available services.”

Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.

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