For refraining from shooting objects put inside private premises over the walls located along public roads, Google Japan announced on Wednesday it would deploy new measures not as to violate resident’s privacy after considering Japan’s local characteristics including its housing styles, tightly crammed rows of houses and high population density.
The new measures are:
- An on-board camera capturing Google StreetView images will be set to 40 centimeters (1.3 ft.) low from the current position. Under this new condition, Google will retake all Google StreetView images in Japan. (It will be 2.05 meters (6.7 ft.) high from the ground. It used to be 2.45 meters (8 ft.) high.)
- Setting up the telephone hotline to receive image removal requests from those who have no way to do so via the Internet. (0570-01-0041 for domestic call in Japan, or +81-3-6415-5900 for international call. 9am to 6pm, Mon thru Fri excluding one-hour lunch break in J.S.T.) If a place is requested to be removed, that will never be exposed even for future updating.
- Accepting a resident’s request to mask a nameplate usually put on his/her house’s door and unexpectedly appeared in a Google StreetView image.
- Accepting a vehicle owner’s request to mask his/her vehicle registration plate unexpectedly appeared in a Google StreetView image.
For those who are willing to show viewers inside premises in more clear images for promotional use to have more tourists and visitors, Google Japan will start a new program and accept the application for requesting capturing more clear images by using a bicycle having an on-board camera instead of a vehicle, allowing to get into narrow streets and spaces.
A trike having an on-board camera captures images for Google StreetView.
(Photo courtesy by: Google Japan)
The new program is available for free of charge, however, not officially announced when it will start. Google Japan expects the program’s possible applicants to be zoo, park, university, open-air market, stadium, racing circuit etc., and the company shows you inside images of Kodaiji Temple[J] in Kyoto and Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido, as the new program examples.
The chief priest at Kodaiji Temple was interviewed about the temple’s participating in Google’s new program.
via CNET Japan[J], IT Media [J] and At Mark IT[J]
See Also:
- Google maps incite anger with Edo period maps of Japan (Japanator)
- Google Reshooting Street View in Japan from lower angle (Gigazine)
- Suginami Ward Proposes Removing Google Street View Images (Asiajin)
Masaru IKEDA