Even when you're outdoors and offline, it's impossible to escape Internet-based privacy invasion, thanks to Google Maps' new Street View feature. Google's roving cameras, though meant simply to capture streetscapes for the convenience of direction-seekers, have lensed all kinds of tomfoolery. Although Google has always removed identifiable faces or license plates upon request, if you can substantiate your identity — a slight catch-22 for the chap apparently caught breaking and entering — the company now says it will remove any face, license plate, or other personal detail it's notified about, without requiring proof of identity. Still, Google won't be proactively deleting faces, as privacy advocates suggest. It's like YouTube's copyright-infringement policy: if no one notices, it's not a problem.

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