It's late and I have to go to bed, but it appears that KB continues to be in the news. And so much for Google's easy policy regarding requesting that your image be taken down... they're now collecting driver's license information in order to have your pic removed.
Read here
BTW, this blog is published on a Google product, and if you e-mail me, it'll come to GMail. If they ever decide to merge with Time Warner, we will know the Eye of Sauron is upon us.
Thanks to Amy, Pat and/ or Jeff for the link.
That Kevin Bankston. I think he's probably a terrorist.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. It certainly undercuts the Google's argument that this is a good thing if they make it such a hassle to remove an unwanted image. I wonder if they remove any image on request or just images for which there is some argument like it makes me look silly, displays private information about private life and so forth.
ReplyDeleteGood question. Plus, one wonders (me, being one) if they have the name "Kevin Bankston" blacklisted at Google.
ReplyDeleteI am not even certain that he, or others similarly situated, could prove that they were the person depicted even if they did submit all of the information Google wanted. Drivers licenses picture are typically older and provide a view of a face that is not going to be the one you get from a Google Street Viewer. Add a few years and changing hairstyles and how can you prove that is you with the information requested?
ReplyDeleteOops, that was me with the above comment.
ReplyDeleteHaving taken many, many drivers licenses to verify checks during my days in retail, I completely concur with the above statement. Many a time I wanted to ask "wow, what happened?"
ReplyDeleteAnd some places like AZ require a new license INCREDIBLY infrequently (I think mine was set to expire when I reached my 60th birthday).
This has nothing to do with Bankston. But it deserves its own entry.
ReplyDeleteThis is what the league needs.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h250/ledzep6869/1181671151.jpg
Now that's a Hall of Justice I can get behind.
Peabo
A) For personal reasons, I'm glad you can buy blue spandex in my size.
ReplyDeleteB) I don't know if these folks don't know that there's no rule requiring they dress up for Comic Cons, but I thank the ghost of Jerry Siegel everyday that they do.
Back to Bankston ...
ReplyDeleteHow else can Google verify that you are the person in the picture before removing it? I undestand the dangers of giving out your DL to anyone, but in this case, isn't it reasonable? What other method could Google have used?
The point is that there isn't a way. If your drivers license is a picture of you at 21, and you are 31, with a different hairstyle, et cetera, how are they going to tell that the person walking on the street in a hat with face partially obscured is the person, anyway? I suppose Google could err on the side of removal, but that would defeat their purpose in offering the Streetview in the first place. Really, I think the point of my and the League's exchange above is there is no satisfying way to prove you are the same person, at least with the requested information.
ReplyDelete