Man Sues After Google “Street View” Captures Him Peeing in Front Yard

Frenchman claims neighbors recognized and ridiculed him

Google’s new “good to know” ad campaign featuring tips on how to maintain privacy in the digital age didn’t cover this scenario.

A middle-aged Frenchman filed a 10,000-euro ($13,249) lawsuit against the tech giant for publishing a “Street View” photo that showed him peeing in his front yard, Reuters reported.

The man’s lawyer said his 50-something client was recognized and ridiculed by neighbors in his village of 3,000 in France’s northwest Maine-et-Loire region despite having his face blurred out by Google.

"Everyone has the right to a degree of secrecy," lawyer Jean-Noel Bouillard told Reuters. "In this particular case, it's more amusing than serious. But if he'd been caught kissing a woman other than his wife, he would have had the same issue."

The man, who was not identified, reportedly thought he was safe from Google’s cameras because of his closed gate.

Google’s lawyer told the local daily Ouest France the firm was pleading for the case to be declared null and void.

Google’s cameras have in the past captured an array of other embarrassing or curious situations.
 

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