Google Street View Update: New Images Coming to Germany
Google has announced that it will be updating its Street View images in Germany. These new images, some of which were taken last year, have so far only been used to improve Google’s digital maps. However, they will soon be integrated into the Street View view.
To achieve this, Google will be sending out its camera vehicle fleet again from June 22nd. The updated Street View view within Google Maps will then be updated step by step from mid-July. A website set up by Google lists the cities that will be driven by Google cars, but there are no exact dates so far.
Google Street View combines photos taken into a navigable view of streets and houses that can include people. However, to protect privacy, Google blurs all recognized persons and license plates. If you also don’t want your house to be visible in Street View, you can file a complaint with Google to have it removed.
To date, Street View in Germany has only been available in the 20 largest cities. These will be renewed before new images are added,” according to Google’s confirmation online. In the past, Google drove through Germany in 2008 and 2009, causing concerns over privacy.
According to Google, more and more users have complained about deviations from reality due to the outdated recordings used for Street View, some of which were made almost 15 years ago. Google’s Street View faces competition from Apple’s Look Around service, which shows more up-to-date panoramas and is available in more German towns and villages.
In conclusion, Google’s Street View is getting a long-awaited update in Germany with new images taken last year, creating a navigable view of streets and houses. Although Google blur recognized persons and license plates, users can still file complaints to have their homes removed from Street View. This update follows complaints from users about outdated images. Google faces competition from Apple’s Look Around service, which shows more up-to-date panoramas in more German towns and villages.
