And 'now, some time ago the news that Google Maps has begun experiments to allow viewing of maps at a resolution that allows to detect even the people as well as roads and buildings. More recently it was discovered a trick that allows you to increase the quality of service they currently provided in order to enlarge the images and relatively easy to identify people and objects.

Increasing the resolution of images available is very interesting fact (just think of the project recently launched by Google Earth to sensitize world opinion on the genocide that is taking place in Darfur) but certainly not free from risks. Of course, what interests me is not to protect secrets (more or less incofessabili) governments , but rather the implications for privacy of individuals.
The ability to identify people and objects (just think of the cars parked in the vicinity of a given number) represents a risk to privacy that should not be underestimated. Also because, in all honesty, I can not find good reasons why these images should be visible.

Moreover, as regards Italy, the Guarantor for the protection of personal data has already had to establish that "there is usually justified surveillance activity directed not to control events, situations and events, but for tourist-promotional advertising or through web cam or cameras-on-line and make it identifiable subjects shot. "

For this reason, for example, the Ombudsman took the view that they are legitimate webcams that transmit images via the internet unless they can be identified indirectly interested, because of the distance from the place again or other specifications.
The speech for the maps, however, is different in part and, if possible, more complicated. Apart from the fact that, apart from a few recent cases, are unknown dates and places of the mountains, are we really sure that it is not sufficient to see the face of an individual to protect his privacy?

I think this brief excerpt from a recent episode of " The Simpsons "is very telling, of course, this is a parody, but probably not be long before we get to this level of magnification and the ability to display images in real time.