Street View Images: No Privacy Violation

In the case “T, D J c/ Google Argentina SRL y otro s/ daños y perjuicios,” Division III of the Federal Court of Appeals in Civil and Commercial Matters rejected a claim filed by an individual who argued that the publication of images of his home, workplace, and vehicle on Google Street View infringed his right to privacy.

The claimant stated that the publishing such information without his consent had led to negative consequences, including security incidents and the need to relocate and replace his vehicle. In this regard, he argued that the dissemination of these images constituted an unlawful intrusion into his private sphere.

However, the Court concluded that there had been no violation of the right to privacy, as the images captured did not differ from what any person could observe while moving through public spaces. It further emphasized that the images did not reveal the interior of the properties, nor did they allow for clear identification of sensitive elements such as the vehicle’s license plate.

To decide so, the Court considered, among other elements, the expert technical report produced during the proceedings, which demonstrated that Google applies blurring mechanisms to its images. This system prevents identifying faces, license plates, or house numbers, which significantly reduces the risk of privacy infringement.

On this basis, the Court of Appeals held that the images available on Street View do not constitute an unlawful exposure, but rather a reproduction of publicly visible information, further processed with technical safeguards.

The case reinforces the principle that the capturing and disseminating images of spaces visible from public areas, when accompanied by appropriate technical safeguards, do not per se amount to a violation of privacy rights.