Google Maps Zaps Human Faces From 'Street View'

The "Street View" feature in Google Maps just got a lot less interesting. (Please see Google Maps, Tabby Cats, Black Helicopters and You). Google says it has taken out the Street View shots that contain human faces or license plates. Seems that the forces of pro-privacy paranoia turned up the heat on Google, and Google decided to relent.

Now all we can hope for from Street View is buildings, streets, cars and buses. No more guys breaking into apartment buildings. No more scantily clad co-eds sunbathing in Palo Alto. No more shots of Steve Jobs' Mercedes parked in his driveway. No more guys entering strip clubs.

To me, those shots were vital documents--a human face to cold technology. A space alien could visit Earth, turn on Street View, throw in some Craigslist, and get a pretty good idea of what Earth in the 21st Century is like.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.