technology
Eek! Bryan Fischer Calls Google Street View a Tool for Pedophiles
By Sharon Fisher, 10-14-08
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Idaho Values Alliance’s executive director Bryan Fischer is joining those calling for a ban on Google’s Street View, saying the application, which provides 360-degree views of some communities (including the Treasure Valley) could be used by pedophiles to find victims.
“Although images are not live, Google “Street View” can memorialize a minor’s photograph in association with a physical address, without parental consent, for all Internet users to see,” the IVA website warns.
Fischer is partnering with an organization called Stop Internet Predators, which is attempting to stop the technology nationwide until Google makes it “safe” for children through some unspecified means. Newspapers in Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Manchester, N.H., have run articles on the group—most often to derision by readers.
“Why does this help child predators?” said ‘Sabrina’ from St. Louis. “If they live in the same town, they are likely well aware children play in parks. It they don’t live in the same town, they can get the same location information for parks that is already available in online maps.”
Or paper maps, even. Like the kinds that Boise actually gives out.
Google spokespeople are typically also quoted in the articles, noting that the company blurs faces and will remove photographs on request, and also that the information is no different from what could be captured on camera by someone in a car or on foot along city streets.
In fact, some Treasure Valley cities—most of them, in my experience—actually have signs alerting potential predators to upcoming schools and parks. Eek!
The executive director of the organization, Stacie Rumenap, admitted in several articles that no children have been harmed through the tool, but, according to a letter the organization suggests sending to municipal officials, “our children’s safety is our number one priority and we cannot allow to [sic] be compromised.”
Full disclosure: Sharon Fisher is a candidate for the Idaho Legislature, District 21.
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Comments
(Sheesh. Don't these organizations have any *real* child-endangerment problems to solve?)
Just think, a blurry Google maps image of your child could be the next object of blurry affection by someone like Joseph Duncan, if Duncan had been into blurry children.
And I don't see anything about pets. Pet kidnappings are at an all time high (just ask Bryan, I'm sure he'll agree), especially the pets of fundamentalist Christians, which just goes to show the level to which persecution of righteous Christians goes unpunished.
Now where was I? Oh yes! Pets. With Christian pet abductions at an all time high, and Google maps NOT blurring the images of our beloved Christian pets, it won't be long before petnappers are using those images to fantasize about little Fluffykins and their imaginations may lead them to do things, like blow off of a male hooker's stomach, or worse!
You mock Bryan Fischer at the peril of all our children! And our pets, of course.