Google Blurs Its Own Building in Germany as Street View Expands
Street View images of Germany’s 20 largest cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, are live in Google Maps, Google announced yesterday. One funny note (as spotted by CenterNetworks): Google has been forced to blur out its own office building.
If you check out their address Dienerstraße 12, Munich, you’ll be greeted by this censored image:
Apparently one of the tenants in the building requested the building to be blurred.
Google also announced an improvement to their blurring of houses, cars, and people. Google said surrounding scenery (e.g., street signs, trees) is no longer obscured. This allows Google to not black out an entire area.
About 3 percent of Germans have opted out of Google’s Street View imagery so far. Street View debuted in Oberstaufen, Germany earlier this month.
Google also highlighted several non-blurry photos, including the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
So if you’ve ever wanted to explore some of Germany’s biggest cities, now’s your chance.