The Swiss say Nein to Google Street View

While the Germans are working with their American legal team on their Google Author Settlement Amicus brief in opposition to Google taking over the world, the easy going Swiss are getting their panties in a bunch over Google Street View.

"BERN, Switzerland - A Swiss government official is demanding that Google Inc. immediately take off the Internet any image of Switzerland in its "Street View Maps," and the company said Monday it would discuss the matter with the privacy rights regulator.
Hanspeter Thuer, federal data protection commissioner, said Google's pictures were violating Switzerland's strict privacy laws by failing to obscure people's identities.
"Numerous faces and license numbers weren't blurred or were done so inadequately," said Thuer's statement, adding that he "demands that Google Inc. immediately take its Google Street View online service off the Internet" until it can ensure that public images respect Swiss law.

One Swiss image made news over the weekend as it clearly captured national parliamentarian Ruedi Noser on the street walking with a woman."

Turns out the woman was his assistant and not his mistress, or a prostitute, so embarrassment was averted there -- but it just goes to show that Google's world domination agenda is running into detractors.

Of course, ever clever Google, put their cheery spin on the outcry -- "We are excited about the discussion with the commissioner to hear his thoughts and to respond by demonstrating how we protect the private sphere with Street View," said Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel."

Yep, I'm sure you are Google.

But, now back to our regularly scheduled program -- the Google Author Settlement.

We've still got a week and a half until the deadline for opting out, and/or filing objections, opposition, amicus briefs, or just plain cranky old rants, and all I have to say is -- are we having fun yet?

Keep those cards and letters coming!