Musician Chases Down Google Street View Car To Promote His Music

from the creative dept

Wed, Dec 9th 2009 9:21pm — Mike Masnick

Via Blaise we learn of a musician in Saskatoon, who heard that Google was going to be adding Saskatoon to its "Street View" efforts, and decided he was going to figure out a way to promote himself via Google Street View. He bought a sign with his band's name, and kept it in his car. He told all his friends to be on the lookout for the Google Street View car, and to alert him, but he actually spotted it himself while eating lunch one day. After following it around for a bit, he figured out the pattern the car was driving in, and set himself up a little ways ahead and was photographed. He dashed ahead again, and got photographed a second time as well:

But here's the thing: his face is blurred out due to pressure from various governments to "protect" people's privacy from Google Street View. So this raises an obvious question: what do you do if you want to be seen on Google Street View, rather than blurred, and your government has taken away that ability?

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Filed Under: privacy, promotion, street view
Companies: google

29 Comments

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thublihnk (profile), 9 Dec 2009 @ 8:24pm

Not a terrible sound, either. Good to see that good music is being combined with inventive marketing campaigns.
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kyle clements (profile), 9 Dec 2009 @ 9:50pm

"What do you do if you want to be seen on Google Street View, rather than blurred, and your government has taken away that ability?"

I guess you can have a portrait printed on a sign, and have that sign beside you when the googlemobile comes by.

Personally, I like it how in this one particular case, the government has sided on privacy being the norm, not the exception. Having your face posted publicly on a system like street view should be be opt-in, not opt-out. and in this one particular case, I think the government is mostly right.

oh, and this is an absolutely brilliant idea! Good job!
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Pjerky (profile), 9 Dec 2009 @ 9:50pm

Awesome Promo Idea
I love the idea, this could be used for all sorts of things. Props to the guy for thinking about it.
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Jesse, 9 Dec 2009 @ 9:58pm

This is a clear violation of privacy. It must be stopped. For the children.
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scarr (profile), 9 Dec 2009 @ 10:00pm

Re:
What privacy would be violated? He's on the public street. Google lowering the resolution of the images because of these concerns has made it far less useful for finding things ... all of which are, by definition, in view of the street.
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Andrew F (profile), 9 Dec 2009 @ 10:58pm

Re: Re:
It's sarcasm scarr.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Dec 2009 @ 11:02pm

You lobby the government and sue Google :)
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Dec 2009 @ 11:08pm

But in all seriousness, why doesn't he just ask Google to unblur the picture? They may or may not listen, perhaps they can't unblur it because they deleted the unblurred picture, but what doe he have to lose by asking.
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Tor (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 12:28am

Re: Re:
According to that argument the extreme situation with the surveilance cameras in for example Great Britain is no problem either since all that is filmed is public anyway. I'm not sure I would agree with that.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Dec 2009 @ 12:59am

Re: portrait
The face blurring technology is automatic and often confuses printed materials (advertising etc.) with people and then blurs them out.
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Mr RC (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 1:31am

heh...
Damn clever idea!
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Dec 2009 @ 3:37am

Re: Re: Re:
Is it?
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Siddharth, 10 Dec 2009 @ 3:49am

Haha.. funny. too bad the government had to come out with th rule...
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R. Miles (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 3:50am

The answer is...
what do you do if you want to be seen on Google Street View, rather than blurred, and your government has taken away that ability?
You put the SIGN OF THE BAND NAME next to you.

Too bad this guy didn't think of that.
/sarcasm
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senshikaze (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 4:48am

Actually, i like the look of the blurred face with the sign and guitar. would be a cool promo picture.
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Umm, 10 Dec 2009 @ 5:12am

Re: The answer is...
"Too bad this guy didn't think of that."

You look confused
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Jimr (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 5:15am

See him for yourself
He had his picture in the local paper and on the National news for all the world to see:
via: cbc.ca
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 5:27am

Re: Re: Re:
Then you must have a problem with people taking pictures of their children in the park. Since they could be taking pictures of houses and other people as well. And with things like flicker, anything can get online.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Dec 2009 @ 5:32am

Re:
For the facial blurring, it's pretty obvious:

Can you imagine Google maintaining a file for every man, woman, and child on the planet with their preference of "blur / not blur"? Can you imagine the streetview editors having to consult that file?

"Gee, is that Fred F or his brother?"

It would be absolutely insane. Mike, I cannot for the life of me understand why you wouldn't think of something like that. Sometimes for a smart man you make some of the dumbest comments.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Dec 2009 @ 5:45am

"What do you do if you want to be seen on Google Street View, rather than blurred, and your government has taken away that ability?"

You suck it up. "You don't always get what you want."
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PaulT (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 6:20am

Re: Re: Re:
Ah, I was wondering when some idiot would drop by with that myth...

Anyway, it's the same point - any cameras that there are filming the streets are filming *public* areas. There's nothing a camera can pick up that the guy standing next to you or on the balcony above you can't see.

What privacy do you really expect in the public street?
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Planetwebfoot, 10 Dec 2009 @ 7:12am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Well, I agree with you, but there is a difference between being seen by the guy next to you, and having your photo plastered on the Internet. If you want to be seen on Google Street View, well...too bad, get around it with promoting yourself online via other means such as creating a web-site and socail networking.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Dec 2009 @ 7:46am

Re: Re:
...unless a person specifically states where and what image they would like unblurred, and then provide proof that they are the person in question?

Why in the world would you even think that the system would be "Hey, let's find every image that matches this person"?
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scarr (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 7:57am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
As Chronno mentioned before, that happens all the time with people taking pictures in public places and putting them on Flickr, or any of thousands of other places on the web.

Is it your claim that parents should have to blur all the faces out at their kids' sports matches, unless they can get release forms from everyone in attendance?
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Larna, 10 Dec 2009 @ 8:26am

google
Google always come close but never get there.. check out the article on the music void site about Vevo another google failed venture... www.voidmusic.com

http://www.themusicvoid.com/2009/12/vevo-another-failed-venture-or-a-virtual-video-goldmine/
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onanon, 10 Dec 2009 @ 8:30am

Umm..
...no, you look retarded.

..I want a ban on people who don't understand sarcasm and also on those who feel the need to write '/sarcasm' when they are being sarcastic.
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nasch (profile), 10 Dec 2009 @ 9:45am

Re: google
Google always come close but never get there.

Yeah, if only Google could figure out some kind of product people want to use. Wait, what?
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Dec 2009 @ 10:40am

Re: Re: Re:
Because they don't have time to handle it.

I have an idea: maybe Google can charge $500 per image to unblur your face, but first you must provide a notarized document that this is in fact you, a good image of yourself, potentially dressed in the same clothes, and two forms of picture ID. Then perhaps they could consider it. Otherwise, they risk unblurring people who don't want to be unblurred.

I would say it's a stupid concept from a to z.
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Mr. CD (profile), 12 Dec 2009 @ 1:40pm

He should hang a sign on his head that shows a blurred image of his face.
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