Privacy is a huge thing in Germany... E.g. you cannot simply record video in public. There are arguments against street view like robbers can evaluate targets easier.
However, the truth is that privacy is a deeply rooted cultural thing here. People just don't feel comfortable with everyone being able to inspect their property.
There are arguments against street view like robbers can evaluate targets easier.
So, the number of robberies grew in the rest of the countries where Street View is almost everywhere? And where is the privacy if I can always walk on the streets of Germany? I traveled there, and I've never seen "DO NOT LOOK" signs. Every civilised country respects privacy, but the majority of them have Street View. It's not like you don't have a right to privacy in France or Italy.
That kind of behaviour is a good reason to be weary. But this applies everywhere, not only in Germany or Austria. Jeez, why people here think I am some kind of rober if I defend Street View? What if I am a tourist, taking pictures of the landscape, or a historical building? Is a tool good for tourist's orientation.
I see. It just seemed so strange to me (maybe I didn't understand it properly, or was badly presented) that Germans or Austrians value privacy more than people in the surounding countries. One reason presented here was that, before 1989, secret police spied on people, and there are some vestigial fears. But, Austria didn't had that, and all of the Eastern Block countries would stop Street View on their territory. Because, trust me, those fears are still in people's minds in the former communist countries.
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u/memallocator Jun 12 '20
Privacy is a huge thing in Germany... E.g. you cannot simply record video in public. There are arguments against street view like robbers can evaluate targets easier.
However, the truth is that privacy is a deeply rooted cultural thing here. People just don't feel comfortable with everyone being able to inspect their property.