Concerns raised about Google's "Streetview" program

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has asked Google and a Calgary-based company working for Google to explain how their "Street View" digital imaging program meets the requirements of Canadian privacy laws. Street View, currently limited to US locations but planning to cover Canada as well, uses street level photographs to let computer users explore city streets and neighbourhoods on their computer screens.  But the program may violate Canadian privacy law to the extent that the pictures include identifiable individuals who did not consent to this use of their photo.