Google Maps car trespass on private property!

[AlienDroid 0]

Sorry this is a bit off subject for the forum maybe but I can't think where else to post this even with all the forums I subscribe to.

 

I've just caught on my CCTV one of the Google Maps cars at the rear of my property which is a private road (not public road)

 

I'm sure this is trespass but would like to hear from anyone that has had this happen to them and from anyone else what I can do about it.

 

Since google started mapping the private roads in my area crime has increased as now all the annoying twats who are up to no good can find these hidden away places so much easier.

Now they might even have close up images of my garage and all my neighbours and into some back gardens so making it very easy for theifs to look around without having to leave the comfort of their sofas.

I can hear them now saying (that garage looks easy)

 

The local council said they can do nothing as google don't need to let them know they are driving around the area!

 

What can I do?

The images are not up as yet!

Are they breaking the law?

 

I know Google have lost a case in the US on trespass of private property taking images in this way, so would like to know if this has happened also in the UK?

 

I think government or maybe councils need to take responsibility for this rather than it being left up to each and every individual having to chase down google when they break the law and breach our privacy and trespass.

 

Many thanx for any info and feedback.

[ssnapier 0]

If you feel they have violated a law on the books go after them. The problem is that, you will need to have enough money to beat down their legal team. Is the road clearly marked as private? Are there any No trespassing signs posted?

[AlienDroid 0]

Thanx for the reply ssnapier

 

Well that's the problem, going after google is beyond my budget.

There are no signs making clear private road etc.

 

But when call it private road, it's a narrow track between 2 houses with access only to garages and a dead end, it's very secluded so really what it is and looks like is a shared drive to several properties, I shouldn't be describing as a road.

 

All I can say is that it's very clearly not public access so why the heck they're imaging garages and back gardens is beyond me.

[Don Stephens 0]

Google might be big, but they're not exactly an evil empire. I'm not sure you're going to do yourself any favors by turning this into a legal battle.

 

Just contact them and explain situation. It would certainly upset me if someone was driving around on my property taking pictures. Google is not going to risk a legal battle when they can just erase the footage. The pictures of your property are not worth more than the cost of their attorneys.

 

https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6077208?rd=1

 

Under the section titled "Report imagery or sensitive content," you'll find a category named "Remove content for legal reasons." The drop-down menu from that category will link you to a contact form (http://goo.gl/U8e8wn).

[AlienDroid 0]

Google might be big, but they're not exactly an evil empire. I'm not sure you're going to do yourself any favors by turning this into a legal battle.

 

Just contact them and explain situation. It would certainly upset me if someone was driving around on my property taking pictures. Google is not going to risk a legal battle when they can just erase the footage. The pictures of your property are not worth more than the cost of their attorneys.

 

https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6077208?rd=1

 

Under the section titled "Report imagery or sensitive content," you'll find a category named "Remove content for legal reasons." The drop-down menu from that category will link you to a contact form (http://goo.gl/U8e8wn).

Thanx for the reply Don

 

Well I'm not sure how I would class google right now, invasion of privacy is high up on my list so they don't score that well IMO.

 

Being forced by government to had over details is one thing, going out and trespassing and taking shots over garden fences at the rear of properties I think is pretty bad behaviour.

 

I've already looked at the removal page but the images are not yet up on google maps, so there seems to be no obvious way to prevent that from happening apart from trying to speak to them directly perhaps!! The last option on the 2nd link might be a start. the 1st link you listed is dead BTW.

 

From a news story I found it looks likes google are willing to risk court as they lost and had to pay $25k for taking shots on private property. Hopefully I'll be able to speak to someone at google and they will be willing to delete and images they have and confirm that in writing or I will have to consider taking it further.

Don't want to waste my time doing this but if government or local councils don't care about trespass and personal privacy then it doesn't leave many other options I guess.

[51cent 8]

There are no signs making clear private road etc.

 

Why not put up signs then to avoid future problems?

[Securame 0]

There are no signs making clear private road etc.

 

Then how do you expect anyone to know?

[AlienDroid 0]

With all due respect you guys need to read what I wrote again in my follow up 2nd post.

I called it a private road in my first post but that was a poor choice of words to describe it.

 

No one ever mistakes this for a road because it doesn't look like one!

It's a narrow track that runs between properties, these are very common in my area and could never in a million years be mistaken for a public road of any kind.

Further to that all that is down there is garages and garden fences so all these images will show is that and maybe into the back bedrooms and gardens of mine and my neighbours properties.

 

So by it's very look it is not a road, only garages and a dead end, no road name, no door numbers no properties. Only a moron close to a vegetative state would mistake this for a public road!

 

I can see from one other road near me the google maps car has stopped, backed into another private track, this one is not quite as wide as mine and is more overgrown so he didn't drive in more than a few metres but more details on show than would have been if taken from the public road. If I start finding more examples it will prove the driver is stopping and entering these private tracks.

[Q2U 0]

Google might be big, but they're not exactly an evil empire...

 

http://www.wired.com/2012/06/opinion-google-is-evil/

[AlienDroid 0]

Google might be big, but they're not exactly an evil empire...

 

http://www.wired.com/2012/06/opinion-google-is-evil/

That story sums up Google pretty well " title="Applause" />

I doubt if the US government will slap them too hard as they help them hoover up a lot of personal data!

 

On a side note. See that car, what colour would you say it is?

Google have the exact same one that trespassed down my shared track registered as (blue)

Now if I incorrectly listed my car the wrong colour I'm sure there would be a big fat fine dropping through my letter box pretty quick.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not picking on google, if you look you will find plenty of stories on others like LG etc who collected info from some of their smart TV about customers choices, viewing habits and probably a lot more, in fact if memory serves me correctly they also had access to personal files, not just the installed files!!!

This happened even though the option was turned off so not a mistake.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to get Google on the phone today (pigs will fly maybe) and they'll see the error of their ways (cough)...

[51cent 8]

I would imagine it's not one of googles policy making staff driving that car. It's probably some college kid making minimum wage, told to go down the street if it doesn't say private or no trespassing. So instead of tilting at windmills, put up a sign, it will at least keep google and honest people out.

[AlienDroid 0]

I would imagine it's not one of googles policy making staff driving that car. It's probably some college kid making minimum wage, told to go down the street if it doesn't say private or no trespassing. So instead of tilting at windmills, put up a sign, it will at least keep google and honest people out.

Policy making staff, funny!

Anyway the driver doesn't look that young regardless.

But in any case are you saying the whole world has to put up private property signs just because a company like Google doesn't respect peoples privacy or the trespass laws!

 

Something I didn't mention above is that the Google car with non policy making staff reversed all the way down the track, he didn't drive in!!! So he would not have seen that apparent all important private property sign after all that Google would maybe adhere to!

 

Phoned the Google office in London 4 times, got hung up on 4 times.

Posted to one of the Google support forums also, but after reading some of the many posts on this problem from others having Google trespass I can't see that helping much.

 

There doesn't seem to a proper support ticket system to log problems like this so it's very easy for Google to ignore this issue and let them get lost and forgotten in a winding thread!

[Antitrust 0]

I would imagine it's not one of googles policy making staff driving that car. It's probably some college kid making minimum wage, told to go down the street if it doesn't say private or no trespassing. So instead of tilting at windmills, put up a sign, it will at least keep google and honest people out.

 

 

Exactly, and who are they to know that people don't want them connecting to their open access points... At this rate it won't be long until they will be peeking through open windows and checking unlocked doors.

[AlienDroid 0]

Good point (Antitrust) on the open access points!

 

Of course I'm sure Google have collected all the SSID info for each and every one of us they can, open or not!

Of course they will say it's public info if you choose to broadcast your SSID!

I wouldn't agree with that. it's one thing making an SSID searchable a few doors down from your home, it's another thing entirely Google snooping and gathering everyone's Router info without permission!

 

A small update on Google trespassing at the rear of my home.

Google still have not replied to me via their support forum or by the map complaint form.

 

I've heard back from someone today from an organisation which said they will take the matter up with Google if they have not replied to my complaint within 30 days.

I'm not going to list much on this just yet but they seem interested in the level of inappropriate intrusion.

 

I've also spent some time detailing some of the local trespassing by Google going back to at least 2008.

This includes shots of people gardening in their back garden, and inside the grounds of a care home snapping residents at rest!

 

Basically Google is going everywhere it can, be that a private track, private farms, industrial parks. I'm not talking just about the car parks in some of these places, they often drive anywhere they can.

Some of these places may not be private, but who needs to see the back windows of a care home and what security they have and residents sitting out in the sun.

 

I've never looked this up, but does anyone know how Google update their images?

Does Google blur or blackout the original image and what do they do with the backups?

Are they just tagging the live images but they still keep all the originals including all images of faces and car plates?

 

Oh. one thing I forgot.

I found a private track near me with 4 signs up, one at each end and 2 in the middle. all say Private Property, no trespassing!

So the Google driver is either blind or being told to ignore them!!

[dan732 0]

Are you sure it is a "private" road?

 

Your driveway might be a road that is on the map with the town that you live in. Look at the Town's maps and your survey map.

 

If it is a private road, post No Trespassing signs immediately, this is the only way you can keep people out legally (in most jurisdictions)

 

You can contact google and have them un map your driveway, I had to do this because my very long driveway, about a half mile long was mapped as a road on GPS software and Google, I contacted each of the major GPS companies and reported the error and they removed it in about three weeks. Google did the same as well.

 

Since then I had less people "exploring" thinking it was a real road. They would ignore my posted and no trespassing signs, even had people try to break through my gate. The morons would say it was on google so it was public. I had to call the police out on a couple of these geniuses. Jersey Pineys with three teeth and two brain cells are not the brightest bulbs in the box.

[AlienDroid 0]

Hi dan732

 

Yeah 100% the track is private.

Even the police didn't want to go down their until I gave them permission.

I don't want to post an image of it but it's nothing special, just a shared track for several properties.

Imagine houses with one narrow gap between them wide enough for 1 car to pass at a time and that's the track, some serve 2 properties and others several like in my case.

Garage and garden access only, dead end, no door numbers, no property access apart from private garages at the rear!

 

None of these type of small tracks are on any town maps, they don't go anywhere and most are dead ends like the one I share.

But 3 years ago I noticed Google had added the overlay as they do for roads, but didn't think they would ever trespass, of course I know better now as they're doing this on a huge scale after checking locally.

 

I might put a sign up but Google like I said in a post above ignore them anyway. I don't mind kids on bikes or the odd older one having a smoke as long as they don't get up to doing any damage, but taking images of all the garages and back gardens close up is not on.

 

If you had time to read all my posts above I think I said I tried to contact Google by phone, hung up on 4 times, I've used the support forum and also the web form via google maps.

No reply so far and nothing has changed on the map yet.

 

It should be pointed out Google do not offer an option to prevent images going live, but only to remove them afterwards!

Depending on how long it takes them to remove, the images could be live for some time!

 

How did you go about contacting Google if I may ask?

I've tried 3 routes now but willing to try a forth.

 

I've also seen several cars down my track over the past few years that just drove in and straight back out, so maybe these were people following the google map as it could be mistaken on the map at a glance as the next left turn etc. Of course it's hard to believe someone would mistake it as a road but there are some 2 brain cell morons driving around hear also it seems

[dan732 0]

You might be going about this the wrong way

 

When dealing with companies like Google, never threaten legal action, that will get you no where, unless you have the bucks to go hire an attorney, if you do, just do that, don't threaten, have the attorney deal with the matter.

 

This is what I did

 

Search for you address on google maps

 

when you bring up the map of your street and your private driveway, does it show your driveway as being mapped? A white line, like it is a road? Mine did, do on the bottom right corner you will see a gear and a question mark, click on the question mark, then click on "report a data problem"

 

A little wizard will appear in the left corner stating to point to where the problem is on the map, another dialog box will appear and you select the reason and write it what is wrong. Just say this road is my driveway and please un map it. You may need a google account to do this though or an email account.

 

Just follow through, they will send you a automated message about it being reviewed or whatever. It will take a couple weeks. I saw the changes occurred faster on the website then the mobile version, but they will sync eventually

 

Google did not have any imaging of the driveway, they did not drive up it, but since the imaging is tied to the mapped data, I would assume that if they delete the mapped "road" that the imaging will go as well. Of course nothing is deleted forever, just ask the NSA

 

Also you may want to do this for Garmin, Tele Atlas, free maps and other GPS maps, most of the GPS devices pull from these locations anyways. I did those as well at it was just as easy. Tele Atlas fixed the mistake in a day. It is not a bad idea to do these as well since they might be pulling data from each other.

 

Also, post the driveway, it will help you if you do have people back there who are up to no good. The police will ask them "did you see the signs?" if the trespassers are known to the police, the police will ticket or put handcuffs on them. The signs allow them to do that.

[scoobycamdoo 0]

Its only a big misunderstanding

The driver was using google maps.

[AlienDroid 0]

You might be going about this the wrong way

 

When dealing with companies like Google, never threaten legal action, that will get you no where, unless you have the bucks to go hire an attorney, if you do, just do that, don't threaten, have the attorney deal with the matter.

 

This is what I did

 

Search for you address on google maps

 

when you bring up the map of your street and your private driveway, does it show your driveway as being mapped? A white line, like it is a road? Mine did, do on the bottom right corner you will see a gear and a question mark, click on the question mark, then click on "report a data problem"

 

A little wizard will appear in the left corner stating to point to where the problem is on the map, another dialog box will appear and you select the reason and write it what is wrong. Just say this road is my driveway and please un map it. You may need a google account to do this though or an email account.

 

Just follow through, they will send you a automated message about it being reviewed or whatever. It will take a couple weeks. I saw the changes occurred faster on the website then the mobile version, but they will sync eventually

 

Google did not have any imaging of the driveway, they did not drive up it, but since the imaging is tied to the mapped data, I would assume that if they delete the mapped "road" that the imaging will go as well. Of course nothing is deleted forever, just ask the NSA

 

Also you may want to do this for Garmin, Tele Atlas, free maps and other GPS maps, most of the GPS devices pull from these locations anyways. I did those as well at it was just as easy. Tele Atlas fixed the mistake in a day. It is not a bad idea to do these as well since they might be pulling data from each other.

 

Also, post the driveway, it will help you if you do have people back there who are up to no good. The police will ask them "did you see the signs?" if the trespassers are known to the police, the police will ticket or put handcuffs on them. The signs allow them to do that.

Hi dan732

 

Well I don't have megabucks to spend going after Google, but I have given them a number of way to deal with this and so far they've haven't bothered.

If my current way of trying to get them to deal with this fails then I'll have to follow your course of action.

 

I've already reported the track as you suggested using google maps.

Yes it's been mapped with a white overlay for some time.

I went through the web-form and told them it is private and I wanted it removed from the map.

I also told them they have trespassed and told them not to upload the images.

I provided them with the licence plate of the car, time of trespass so they can verify this to make it easier.

 

Yeah I agree it would make sense if the overlay showing the track is deleted then logically the images should have nowhere to link!

But I have found one other private track in my road that doesn't seem to have the overlay on streetview, but it does from map view! so from the street it doesn't look mapped but you can view it.

That's why I thought the track wasn't mapped, also like mine you don't see an overlay on street view.

Has Google made changes to how that use to work?

So now I check only with map view and see if the thin blue line appears!

Mine is still only showing the white overlay, hopefully Google will act on my request within the 30 days of being contacted.

 

The problem with this web-form is you only get an on screen message but you don't get an email confirming your report.

So without an email, reference etc you have no way to prove you ever made a report if that auto responder is not followed up by Google!

The problem is that image of the entrance to my track off google maps will not be in violation of their policy as they state!

That old image is taken from the public road, it's not any of the new images they would have taken when they went down their.

So lets hope they read what I sent them which explains

 

That brings me all the way back to the fact that Google DO NOT have an option to prevent images from going live!

They only offer removal once live.

This is an important point and one they've overlooked either deliberately or other!

Time is almost up on my first contacting them, 30 days is a long time not to get a response, at that point if they've not been in touch then Google will be contacted by an organisation I've been in touch with regarding the trespass and imaging etc...

 

Thanx for the tips on Garmin etc.

I think Google should be responsible for making sure any copies of its maps are also updated that are in use by 3rd parties but that's never going to happen lol

 

Yeah I don't really want to stick a sign up, but I take your point.

Mind you, like I said in a previous post, Google ignored 4 of them on one private track near me so will I be wasting my time!

 

Cheers...

[AlienDroid 0]

Its only a big misunderstanding

The driver was using google maps.

Hi scoobycamdoo

Made me laugh LOL

 

It reminds of a police documentary I watched a long while ago.

The CCTV guy was giving directions to the police officer on the ground.

 

He spotted someone and the officer was following the guy acting suspiciously!

It then turns out the police officer was following himself!

Doh.....

[scoobycamdoo 0]

Its only a big misunderstanding

The driver was using google maps.

Hi scoobycamdoo

Made me laugh LOL

 

It reminds of a police documentary I watched a long while ago.

The CCTV guy was giving directions to the police officer on the ground.

 

He spotted someone and the officer was following the guy acting suspiciously!

It then turns out the police officer was following himself!

Doh.....

[scoobycamdoo 0]

Now i remember something.

I was following a streetvieuw car in full action (rotathing cam on the roof).

What techfreak on this forum would not proffit from this occasion to take a selphi.

After a while they got aware off their stalker.

So they entered a private driveway and stopped before the garage.

My excuses to the googleteam .

Who knows how many times a day this happens.

 

So what have we learned, we(all the curious techfreaks)are self guilty for this topic

[AlienDroid 0]

Careful, you might end up getting invoiced by Google if you keep getting all that free advertising by appearing in their images, any-thing's possible!

 

So anyway, 30 days have come and gone and I've not heard anything back from Google, my 2nd complaint to them is fast approaching 30 days also.

Good news so far is that the images have not been uploaded.

The private track is still incorrectly shown as a public road, so compared to a previous post they seem to be slow to deal with my complaint.

Watch this space, but don't hold your breath..

[tomcctv 190]

Hi. Who owns the road ?

[AlienDroid 0]

Hi all that are interested in Google trespassing and an updates on events.

 

To just cover my point about Google support forum, my post there back in Sep 2014 in the end never got a reply even though I told them about my post to their forum in my complaint and they have now locked the post due to inactivity. " title="Applause" /> well done Google.

And no, I didn't bump the post, you shouldn't have to on a support forum.

Google also never replied to the google mail address which was used for the support site forum. (nothing in spam folder either!)

 

They did eventually do a couple of things but they do not let you know when they have made these changes. I did get one saying they received my complaint, but the 2nd email stated changes would take place with 24 hours, things were still the same long after this. The 3rd email was for my 2nd complaint, but no update after following changes as above.

 

After my first complaint via the maps.google page after a very long wait, almost 2 months change the map to show the private track as public road, i.e. changes to Blue line when hovering with street view! Exactly what I had asked them not to do in my complaint!!!

About 2 weeks after that they appeared to have added images, but they all showed up as black.

This added to the stress as I thought they had added the images when checking.

During this time I spotted several cars drive in and straight out which possibly is because it looked like a public road at a glance with that blue line on street view!

I can't see any technical reason for this being done this way.

 

In the last few days it seems Google have now removed the blue overlay line in street view, so I'm right back to square 1 as the grey/white line is still there which I originally asked to be removed back in Oct 2014.

So after several months have past the map now is back to the way it looked at the time of my complaint!

 

On the positive side at least the blue line is gone and no images, which shows someone is acting on requests to remove data relating to private property.

Just would be so easy for them to have a multiple choice answer to send an update. But even support systems I was installing 20 years ago showed the users a status of their request and updates along the way when a job was in progress and closed.

Jobs could be opened again if a user wasn't happy, unlike Googles forum!

 

I'm not sure if I'll bother with complaining a 4th time to get the track overlay removed, maybe they left out the delete track option in their software lol

Google actually don't have a system for preventing images being shown, but only to have them removed after they have been uploaded. That might seem a simple point but it is a very separate issue because you can't possibly accurately indicate an image that's not their yet, which was prior to any blue overlay!

 

Hope this in some way helps anyone trying to prevent images being uploaded or have images removed from Google streetmap.

Just keep complaining.

 

Google have just agreed to change it's privacy policy by the ICO, this has little or nothing to do with my case but it shows change can happen.