Google vows on privacy as new Streetview fleet prepares for launch

Google has vowed not to infringe consumer privacy as it prepares to launch a new fleet of cars and trikes to record images for its Streetview mapping service.

The company grounded its fleet of cars fitted with cameras after acknowledging in May that it had “mistakenly been collecting Wifi payload data from our Streetview cars.”

The company said in a statement: “As soon as we discovered our error, we not only announced that we would stop collecting all Wifi data via our Street View cars, we also grounded our entire fleet of vehicles so we could remove the equipment and discuss what had happened with local regulators.”

Google said the new fleet of vehicles would record only photos and 3D images, as the company attempts to fill in areas of the map that currently can’t be access via Streetview.

Areas that can’t be reached by car, such as pedestrianised shopping areas, parks and tourist spots, will be recorded by cameras mounted on a trike.

Streetview is now available in more than 20 countries. The company has set up a website where UK consumers can check where Google cars are recording images for Streetview.