Street View cars: Google tangles with privacy in quest for user relevance, again
Posted by Admin @ July 26th, 2007 in Search Engine Marketing
Google is expanding its image of the world: last week Gizmodo reported that Google now has its own espionage car fleet. For us at 77, a better developed image of the real world can lead to more and better marketing possibilities, provided that it is being used in the right way.
With about 30 cars carrying 360° cameras on their roofs, Google is adding images to their Street View feature. This picture of the Chevy Cobalt Camera Cars was taken from the Gizmodo site:
If Google uses techniques like these, it might be seen as an invader of privacy. Many people will be recognizably photographed and put on the Internet for the whole world to see. Understandably, this will not do any good to the already damaged image of Google when it comes to (online) privacy.
On the other hand, transforming a map into a 3D world is incredibly more useful for tourist applications and, consequently, for marketing purposes. Network providers, search engines and even mobile phone manufacturers are all starting to offer their own maps to mobile users, recognizing the importance of the application on the mobile Internet. If Google can offer 3D maps of many large cities and keep complaints of privacy invasion low, they might come out a winner in this battle, too.
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