An Argentine man, photographed naked in his yard by a Google Street View camera, has been awarded compensation by a court after the image of him, unclothed, was disseminated via the internet. The man, a policeman, had sought restitution from Google for harm to his dignity, arguing that he was behind a six-and-a-half-foot wall when the invasive snapshot was taken in 2017.
The man’s house number and street name were also exposed, spread across Argentine television, and shared widely on social media. The plaintiff contended that this unsolicited exposure subjected him to ridicule at work and within his community. The case raises important questions about privacy rights in the digital age and the responsibilities of tech companies to safeguard personal information.
An earlier court ruling dismissed the man’s claim for damages, stating that he was at fault for “walking around in inappropriate conditions in the garden of his home.” Google, on its end, argued that the perimeter wall was not sufficiently high. However, upon appeal, the judges concluded that the man’s dignity had been undeniably violated, awarding him compensation equivalent to about $12,500 in Argentine pesos to be paid by Google.
“This involves an image of a person that was not captured in a public space but within the confines of their home, behind a fence taller than the average-sized person. The invasion of privacy… is blatant,” the judges wrote in their decision. They highlighted that Google’s policy of blurring faces and license plates in Street View images displays an awareness of a duty to protect third parties. However, in this instance, it was not his face, but his entire naked body that was visible, a situation they deemed should have been prevented.
Google has stated that it has taken measures to protect the integrity of individuals when images are published to Google Maps. Their policy allows for the blurring of entire houses, cars, or even bodies upon request. However, this case underlines the potential for missteps and the need for diligence in upholding such policies.
This development follows earlier reports that in 2019, Google agreed to a $13 million settlement over its collection of private information via the Street View project. And in 2010, the company acknowledged trespassing when photographing a Pittsburgh-area house for Street View, leading to a nominal $1 payment in damages to the affected couple.
We live in an era where our public spaces and private lives are increasingly intertwined with digital technology, making cases like these pivotal in shaping the future of privacy rights.
