Anyone who regularly uses Google Street View will quickly realise that the photographic material used for Germany was outdated until recently. In 2011, Google discontinued the Street View project throughout Germany due to resistance from politicians, property owners, and data protectionists. However, the project has since resumed and the photographic material has been updated.
Google has resumed the Street View project in Germany and is updating the outdated and incomplete image material by the end of October 2023. The new fleet expansion will ensure more comprehensive coverage. The project was officially launched in June 2023.
The company is using not only cars but also cyclists and pedestrians equipped with cameras to capture 360-degree images. Accordingly, we can expect detailed and exceptional recording results, as we have already seen in other countries.
Many places and streets that were recorded in 2011 are currently no longer available in Street View due to ongoing updates. Google has discarded a significant portion of the old database, rendering the old image material inaccessible. Google has digitised 20 major cities, including Dortmund, Berlin, and Hamburg, which can now be virtually explored.
However, the update of the image material may not be entirely advantageous for everyone. Any objections to recording and publishing images of private property in Street View must be renewed to remain valid after the update since house facades are no longer automatically obscured. Those who are concerned about their privacy will need to take action again. Google provides an online form for this in the help section of the Google Maps service. Alternatively, a sample letter from the consumer advice centre [1] can be used.
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