Google Street View Failed to Censor Nudity in Argentine Backyard
An Argentine police officer won a $12,500 settlement after Google Street View photographed him naked in his backyard in 2017 and failed to censor the image. When the photo went viral and was broadcast on national television with identifying details, he suffered professional humiliation. An appeals court in 2025 ruled Google's moderation failure was a blatant privacy invasion despite the man's yard being fenced.
What happened
In 2017, a Google Street View car photographed a man naked in his fenced backyard in Bragado, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The image included his house number and street name, making him identifiable.
When the image was discovered online and shared virally, it was picked up by national television and spread widely, causing the man—a police officer—to be ridiculed by neighbors and colleagues. He subsequently left his job.
Reported impact
The man filed a lawsuit in 2019 against Google Argentina, claiming violation of his privacy and dignity due to the non-consensual global broadcast of his nude image.
Index analysis
Google Street View routinely blurs faces and license plates as part of its standard policies, but failed to blur nudity in this case. The appeals court noted Google's own practices demonstrated the company knew it should blur sensitive content.
Governance controls
A lower court initially ruled in Google's favor in 2019, stating the man bore responsibility for being in 'inappropriate conditions.' An appeals court reversed this decision in 2025, ruling that a fenced yard does not waive the right to privacy and calling the intrusion 'blatant' and 'arbitrary.'
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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