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Google forced to pay 9,500 after naked pics blunder by Street View camera

Google was forced to shelf out thousands of dollars in compensation to the man after its Street View car managed to catch him completely naked in his back garden in 2017

[Lawyer]

A man was awarded $12,500 after he was caught naked by the Google Street View car (stock)

Google has been made to pay a man thousands of dollars after it caught him naked.

The man, who has remained anonymous, was awarded $12,500 from the conglomerate after its Street View cameras caught him completely in his birthday suit. The incident was later broadcast on national television, leading him to receive copious amounts of pranks and hate.

According to Dangerous Minds, the man had been standing behind a six-foot tall wall when the Google Street car drove past. Despite trying his best to avoid the car, which is constantly taking 360 degree pictures, the man was eventually spotted and caught on camera with his privates out.

Google did little to rectify the awkward run-in and left the images of the man up on its Maps service for all to see. This eventually led to the gaffe being picked up by public media in Argentina, and private details about the man, such as his address were made public knowledge.

[Google Street View]

The Google car accidentally caught the man whilst he was naked in his garden (stock)(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Following the public attention the case garnered, the man claimed that he was made a mockery of by local residents and even his fellow work colleagues. Neighbours also took to making fun of him for the unwanted shot into fame, as he insisted it was a breach of privacy.

Fed up of the unwanted attention and virality, the man sued Google and brought the company to court, asking them to remove the images and apportion blame for catching him nude. However, at the time, the court ruled in favour of the company, saying that the man had been at fault for being in his garden naked at the time the car was passing.

But in a swift change to the ruling, a judge in the Argentinian court of appeal has overturned the initial judgment. As a result, Google has now been put to blame for the incident and have now been fined a total of $12,500 for breaching his privacy.

[Google Street View]

The man took the corporation to court and initially lost the case before it was overturned (stock)(Image: BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

In their statements on the case, the judge ruled: "This involves an image of a person that was not captured in a public space but within the confines of their home, behind a fence taller than the average-sized person. The invasion of privacy is blatant."

The presiding judge added that there had been "no justification for Google to evade responsibility for this serious error that involved an intrusion into the plaintiffs house, within his private domain, undermining his dignity." They also added: "No one wants to appear exposed to the world as the day they were born."

While acknowledging that Google does take some measures to protect privacy and anonymity - such as the blurring of faces and license plates, the judge ruled that this case constituted a failing of measures to protect everyday people. They added: "It was not his face that was visible but his entire naked body, an image that should also have been prevented."

[Google Street View]

Google has had to shelf out millions of dollars in compensation before (stock)(Image: BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

This is not the first time that Google has been made to pay for its Street View antics. In a previous case, it was reported to have shelfed out $13million in damages due to the private information it gathered from people thanks to its Street View service.

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