Couple Sues Google Over "Street View"

The Smoking Gun has this snarky story… I’ve changed the inline links so that they point to The Smoking Gun, rather than to the photos the article mentions about):

A Pittsburgh couple is suing Google for invasion of privacy, claiming
that the web giant’s popular “Street View” mapping feature has made a
photo of their home available to online searchers. Aaron and Christine
Boring accuse Google of an “intentional and/or grossly reckless
invasion” of their seclusion and privacy since they live on a street
that is “clearly marked with a ‘Private Road’ sign,” according to a
lawsuit the couple filed this week in Allegheny County’s Court of
Common Pleas. A copy of the April 2 complaint can be found below.
According to the Borings, they purchased their Oakridge Lane home in
late-2006 for “a considerable sum of money,” noting that a “major
component of their purchase decision was a desire for privacy.” But
when Pittsburgh was added last October to the roster of cities covered
by Google’s “Street View” feature, the Borings allege, their “private
information was made known to the public,” causing them “mental
suffering” and diminishing the value of their home (which cost the
couple $163,000, according to property records). The Borings are
seeking in excess of $25,000 in damages and want a court order
directing Google to destroy images of their home. Click here for some photos
of the Boring property, which is now even easier to locate via Google
Maps, since the plaintiffs included their home address on the lawsuit’s
first page. And while they are litigating, perhaps the Borings should
consider suing Allegheny County’s Office of Property Assessments, which
includes a photo of their home (which was built in 1916 and sits on
1.82 acres) on its web site. Here’s a screen grab.
(8 pages)