Court in Hesse upholds lawsuit against Google over aerial images — Deutsche Welle

A court in the German state of Hesse has upheld a lawsuit filed by a Frankfurt resident against Google over the publication of aerial photographs of his house and property in the Google Earth and Google Maps services. The court concluded that the company violated the man’s and his family’s right to privacy, Deutsche Welle reports.

The owner’s right to consent

The court noted that a person does not have to tolerate the worldwide publication of aerial images of their property without consent, at least if they show parts of the grounds that are hidden from public view. In the court’s opinion, the claimant’s private space encompasses the entire residential property.

Such images may provide insight into the owners’ private lives, including the size and layout of the property. In addition, they may reveal potentially vulnerable areas in the security of the grounds.

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The owner’s previous lawsuits

The claimant had previously also filed a lawsuit demanding the removal of images of his house and property from Google Street View and Apple Look Around. The court also noted that Google does not notify property owners about the filming of their properties; the ruling described this as surveillance.

The court stated that Google cannot invoke freedom of information to justify interference in private space, even despite its stated aim of promoting the democratization of knowledge. The ruling may still be appealed.