I agree with Google developing this program for people to access because it will assist people in locating unfamiliar destinations. It allows someone to type in the address of where they are going and actually see what the house or apartment and the surrounding areas look like. This will help them find the right place. While some people will claim that a regular GPS device will do the same, it will only get you to the address, it will not help you find the actual place that one is looking for.
In a way I believe that privacy laws are being broken by this new program. One can see both people and in some cases cars parked in driveways. While Google has stated that the blurring out of license plates and people's faces has protected their privacy it is still possible to identify people who are caught in the pictures. Car license plates can be obtained by driving to that address and recognizing the car parked in the driveway. Today's privacy laws state that even parents cannot take pictures at their kids sporting events. Adults even complain if their photos are taken at events and they do not want those photos shared with others, especially in the times of online social networking.
I think that the best solution would be for Google to find better ways to protect privacy. One suggestion that I have would be for them to remove all people and vehicles from the photos. With technology available today this would not be hard. This would leave people with a valuable mapping tool and protect everyone's privacy.
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