An Argentine appeals court has ordered Google to pay approximately AUD $19,285 in compensation to a man who was photographed naked in his own backyard by a Google Street View car in 2017. The incident occurred in Bragado, a small town west of Buenos Aires, and even though the man was behind a six‑and‑a‑half‑foot wall, the image captured and exposed both his bare body and identifiable details including his house number and street name.
Absolutely mortified and subject to ridicule at work and among neighbours, he took legal action in 2019. While a lower court originally dismissed his claim—on the grounds that he should not have been outside in an “inappropriate condition”, the appeals court reversed this decision in mid‑2025, ruling that Google’s failure to obscure the photo represented a “flagrant violation” of his privacy and dignity.
Court Ruling Highlights
- Judges determined the image had been taken within the confines of his private property, not in a public space. They described the breach as a “serious error” by Google, emphasising that the subject was clothed only in dignity behind a wall that should have shielded him from view.
- Google argued the fence was not tall enough to prevent capture. The court rejected this defence, noting that Google’s own privacy tools, like automatic blurring of faces and licence plates, demonstrate that the company has a clear duty to prevent privacy intrusions, including full‑body images.
- Other parties that shared or reported the image, such as Cablevision SA and local media outlet El Censor, were cleared of liability, as their actions merely highlighted Google’s original error.
Broader Implications for Privacy and Tech Platforms
This case adds to growing concerns about how automated imaging tools can inadvertently breach people’s privacy, even within supposed public content. It reinforces the principle that private property and personal dignity must be protected, and that tech firms like Google must uphold stringent review processes to avoid exposing sensitive content without consent, even if not publicly visible at street level.
