[LINK] APF Policy re Google StreetView

[Linda Rouse]

At 9:47 AM +1000 12/8/08, Ivan Trundle wrote:
In reference to: >On 12/08/2008, at 8:33 AM, Roger Clarke wrote:
>>          APF Policy Statement re Google StreetView
>>          http://www.privacy.org.au/Papers/StreetView.html

>A reasoned and level-headed approach, and focusses on the key issues 
>of accountability (and the mechanisms for dealing with the issue).
>
>As much as Richard's piece was entertaining, much of the overall 
>community commentary is values-laden and emotional, which devalues the 
>overall discussion of the underlying problems with Street View (or
>more appropriately, Google itself).

I am reminded of the furor that erupted some 10+ years ago when 
AustLII first went live with  Family Court Cases available and freely 
searchable. I recognise this is different in that the Family Court 
Cases had been available in print for years, if you knew where to 
look (most large libraries for a start!) whereas the Google photos 
are generally not available elsewhere.

>Some of the asserted risks are difficult to describe (for example, how 
>is a 'female-only household' likely to be discovered?) or are more 
>easily refuted by suggesting that the process of taking a photo can be 
>undertaken by anyone with a camera (such as with building security).
>
>Perhaps, too, the policy statement should reflect on the statement 
>relating to 'the experience gained in the first two days after 
>launch': this implies that it is shooting from the hip and is thus
>tied to the emotional reaction of the service's introduction.

Nicely put Ivan.
A decade or more later and AustLII is available as a browser plugin:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1680
The AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute) Toolbar for 
Mozilla Firefox allows you to search AustLII from any website page.

>However, the Privacy Impact Assessment would place all of this under
>scrutiny, and exposes the true nature of the issues that we face.

Yes, exactly - and I think once people get used to it, it will be 
come a useful tool. Certainly the majority of replies to Richard's 
posting implied a more positive approach.

regards
Linda
-- 
=================
Linda Rouse, Information Manager
DataBasics Pty Limited
Phone 1300 886 238 (bus.)
Email linda at databasics.com.au
Web http://www.databasics.com.au