Google ordered to pay man after its Street View service captured him without clothes

In an unfortunate turn of events, Google's Street View photographed a man in Argentina without any clothes. According to a report by Hindustan Times, he was clicked without his consent while he was in his home backyard. 

Later, the image was published on the internet, prompting significant damage to the appellant's reputation and a major invasion of privacy. While the unexpected incident occurred long back in 2017, its circumstances and reports are making headlines only recently.

As Dexerto reported, his picture was snapped by the Street View car in Bragado, a quaint town in Buenos Aires, while he was standing undressed behind a wall measuring six feet tall. Now, a court in Argentina has asked Google to pay an amount of $12,500 to this innocent individual. 

With the news surfacing on social media platforms worldwide, the shocking incident reflects the necessity of privacy protection and concerns internet users about the impact of the ever-growing technology in a world dominated by digital features. 

Everything we know about Google's compulsion to pay the man for photographing him unclothed

The unusual incident in 2017 harmed the plaintiff's dignity and caused him emotional distress. While his image was snapped years ago, he was employed as a police officer. However, his prestigious job could not protect his reputation after his n*ked picture began making the rounds on the internet. 

Not just ruining his image, the unexpected stunt by the Street View car also leaked the innocent individual's house number and street name details. With this sensitive information highlighted on the internet, his neighbors and known people took no time to connect the dots to identify him as the unclothed off-duty Argentine police officer.  

In 2019, the legal proceedings began when he filed a lawsuit and sued Google for invading his privacy, even when he was in his backyard. With this official step, he blamed the global firm and attempted to take the case forward.

However, a lower court ruled out the incident by dismissing it, according to a Fox Business report. The concerned authorities responded to his request, stating that he was accountable for the incident as he was careless to stand outside without wearing clothes. According to the court, he was in an "inappropriate condition."

A few years later, in 2025, an appeals panel reversed the judge's conclusion. Earlier this month, judges ruled that Google violated the appellant's privacy by capturing and publishing a sensitive picture. Although Google tried defending its action by adding that the fence surrounding the plaintiff's home was not appropriate enough to protect his privacy, the court did not pay attention to the statement. Instead, it was explained that the photo was taken in the police officer's private area, and it was a clear privacy breach. 

Fox Business cited the court's statement to AFP, expressing,

"This involves an image of a person 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 official statement from the court further added, 

"No one wants to appear exposed to the world as the day they were born."

As a result of the lawsuit and appeals court reversal, the court ordered Google to pay $12,500 to the Argentine police officer.