The European Union has asked Google to revise the way it stores images for its Maps and Street View services, due to privacy concerns.
Google currently keeps all images on Street View for a year, but the EU’s Article 29 Data Protection Working Party wants that time cut in half to no longer than six months.
"The Working Party believes that a maximum retention of six months for the unblurred copies of the images would strike the right balance between the protection of privacy and the ability to eliminate false positives," the group said in a letter to Google’s global counsel, Peter, Fleishcer.
Google has also been told it needs to provide more information to residents when its Street View cars will be taking pictures in their areas. Google already posts updates online when it will be taking pictures in local areas. The EU says there should be announcement in local and national newspapers about the whereabouts of the Street View cameras.
"In Europe, we have high standards for data protection. I expect that all companies play according to the rules of the game," said EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding.