Israel wary, but may OK Google Street View

February 22, 2011|Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Google has for years fought claims that its mapping and photography services infringed on personal privacy. Now the Internet search company is facing concerns from Israel that the technology could be used for terrorism.

Israel announced yesterday it is considering ways for Google Street View to photograph Israeli cities, despite concerns the service could be used by terrorists to plot attacks against sensitive locations or political figures.

A team of Israeli Cabinet ministers led by Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor instructed experts yesterday to work with Google Inc. to find a safe way to implement the feature “as soon as possible,’’ according to a statement. The team is weighing benefits, such as increased visibility for tourist sites, with public safety and personal privacy.

Street View allows users to virtually tour locations on a map. It is already available in 27 countries. Google uses special vehicles with panoramic cameras to take ground-level images.

The feature has sparked intense debate about invasions of privacy in the United States, Germany, and other countries.

Critics argue the images could reveal people in places they don’t want to be seen or doing things that might be embarrassing. Also, Google said last year that its vehicles had inadvertently collected computer data from Wi-Fi networks.

The issue has created a special dilemma in Israel, a country that is known as an international high-tech powerhouse but where the public is on constant alert for attacks by Palestinian militants.

In this environment, officials are concerned about putting unprecedented information about potential targets on the Internet.