Greece bars Google from taking photos for 'Street View'

Google’s Street View has hit a major stumbling block in Greece, where the government has banned the company from taking any more pictures for its online maps service until further review.

The Greek Data Protection Agency made this announcement today. The agency wants “additional information” about the images from the world’s largest search engine. The agency wants Google to disclose how long it plans to keep the stored images and how it will protect the local residents when they are photographed. Usually, Google masks people's identities in maps, but the agency wants more assurance. The same agency has also barred a local Internet service provider called Kapou, which posts images of the streets in Athens, Thessaloniki and Larissa cities. You can see the “Parthenon” here but the “Street View” option is disabled because of this ban.