Google's Street View Used To Catch Illegal Tree Choppers?
from the watch-who's-driving-by dept
There's been lots of talk about whether or not Google's Street View effort violates anyone's privacy -- and also whether or not it's proper for police to use photos that were uploaded online in charging people with crimes. How about a combination of the two? A property owner in Canada was caught illegally chopping down some trees on a lot, and Google's Street View images appear to catch the tree choppers red handed. It's not yet clear if the Street View images will be used in the prosecution, but it does seem like valid evidence, though again it will raise privacy questions. However, I'm not sure what the argument really would be there, since it would really be no different than a neighbor taking a photograph (it was the neighbors who complained about the tree chopping in the first place).
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Filed Under: crimes, street view
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Privacy is illusory
Although it's illegal to record conversations, it is odd that it is okay to record people doing things. I find that twist rather odd.
But what do I know?
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Re: Privacy is illusory
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DRM for real estate?
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Re: DRM for real estate?
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Re: DRM for real estate?
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Re: Re: DRM for real estate?
> without permission constitutes a capital offense.
So you slowly poison them and it looks like they just died of natural causes. Once the leaves turn brown and the tree starts looking ugly, you won't need to get their permission-- they'll be coming to you demanding that you get rid of it.
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Re: Re: Re: DRM for real estate?
Funny that it's illegal to cut down a tree, but not to kill it.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: DRM for real estate?
A few years back some trees in a park started to wither and die for no apparent reason and the Parks Board aborists discovered they had been poisoned.
A while later it was discovered that a woman had been poisoning the trees across the street from her condo so she could get a better view of English Bay.
Charged and convicted. She replaced them, incidentally, after she was charged.
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Make up your mind?
As for the legality,,, it's no different than the cameras that catch you going through a red light.
My favorite question is whether a person has the right to NOT be photographed without permission? I consider my countenance to be private and viewable by EYES only. Yet it seems that the government, Banking and even the local businesses feel they have the right to take my picture or video me in public places.
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