Google: Street View will not break law

25th September 2007

US-based search engine Google has issued an assurance that its Street view facility will not breach any local privacy laws.

The announcement from the company - which said that all local laws relating to privacy will be respected - comes after a Canadian regulator said that the site may be in contravention of Canadian law.

Canadian privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart told Google that commercial use of personal information is illegal in Canada.

However, PC World says that Ms Stoddart "was likely making pre-emptive strike since the application isn't offered in Canada yet".

Street View allows viewers to see real-life street scenes from many major US cities, after Google sent vehicles fitted with cameras to drive around them.

The Street View service is produced in conjunction with a Canadian partner, leading to speculation that it will be rolled out there at some point.