You’re being watched.
Or, more precisely, you were being watched.
When you’re done reading this, fire up your computer (if it’s not on already) and go to . Type in your address and click “Street View.” If you live anywhere from Castle Rock to Wellington, chances are you will see a crisp, high-resolution picture of your home.
With just a few mouse clicks, you can pan the camera 360 degrees and see street-level pictures of your neighbors’ homes, too. And with a few more clicks, you can literally move the camera up and down the street, zooming in on whatever looks interesting.
Don’t be surprised if you see someone you know.
I recently took a virtual spin around our south Jeffco neighborhood and there, for all the free world to see, was a series of photos of my neighbor fetching his mail. Across the street, another neighbor was walking his labrador.
I chuckled.
Then I saw my own home, and what appeared to be our pooch peering out from behind our front screen door.
Suddenly, it got pretty creepy.
Whatever illusion you may have about your right to privacy is quickly stripped once you take a drive down Google’s Street View.
Granted, your name and address have been public for years in those thick, old yellow books. But now anyone in the world can do a virtual drive-by, 24/7.
Like I said, creepy.
Google, the world’s largest search engine, rolled out Street View last May. Denver was one of the first five cities, but it wasn’t until recently that large stretches of the suburbs and Front Range were added to the program.
Now, more than 40 cities can be found on Street View. The cameras, mounted on the roofs of cars, have caught some unusual (and even embarrassing) acts across the country.
Think “Candid Camera” for the 21st century.
Net surfers have found images of men leaving strip clubs and entering adult bookstores. One unfortunate fellow was busted relieving himself in a San Diego alley. The roving cameras captured what looks like a on the south side of Chicago. (The license plate number on one of the cars was clearly visible.)
There’s even a montage of a kid in Cleveland.
Not everyone has gotten a kick out of their newfound fame. A Pennsylvania couple earlier this month, alleging the search engine company invaded their privacy by snapping pictures of their home.
Aaron and Christine Boring said Google snapped a photo of their home without permission, and traveled down a private road to do so. They’re seeking $25,000 for “mental suffering and diminished value of their property.”
Just this past week, Big Brother’s roving cameras were and parts of Europe, which caused quite a stir. Google, which will take down a picture if asked, seems a little more cognizant of privacy rights on the other side of the pond.
“We’ve always said that Street View will respect local laws wherever it is available, and we recognize that other countries strike a different balance between the concept of ‘public spaces’ and individuals’ right to privacy in those public spaces,” Google’s global privacy counsel, Peter Fleischer, was quoted as saying.
If the Borings want privacy, they may have to move to Europe. Apparently it no longer exists here.
So next time you leave your house, make sure your hair is combed just so, and whatever you do, don’t fetch the morning paper wearing your jammies.
Someone may be watching. And it ain’t Allen Funt.
Editorial page editor Dan Haley can be reached at dhaley@denverpost.com.
