Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Street View, an add-on for both Google Maps and Google Earth allows Internet users to see street level detail for supported cities that have been captured by a Google car, or the Google snowmobile which was used to capture parts of Whistler Village for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Typically, Google retains these digital photographs for a period of 12 months as this time frame assists them in improving the quality and accuracy of both their mapping process and facial blurring which they perform to maintain user privacy.

Recently, the European Union (EU) sent Google written notice that the retention period needs to be reduced to 6 months as the 12 month time frame is “disproportionate.” The biggest issue that the EU has with the search engine stems from privacy concerns and data protection issues which Google had met as part of its initial requirements.

In another interesting bit of news, the EU is requesting that Google do more to make people aware of the days and times when a Google car will be in a specific neighborhood. The rationale behind this is of course to allow European citizens time to make changes to their personal property in the event that there are things that citizens don’t want filmed or captured.

Google Street View has captured some funny pictures already and when a couple of pranksters in Norway heard about the Google car coming, they were all ready in their scuba gear. I can’t help but think that providing advanced times and locations of the Google car will only lead to more crazy pictures cropping up.

Needless to say, Google has objected.

Via: Gadgetsteria