In a striking case of digital privacy violation, an Argentinian man has won a lawsuit against Google after the company published a photo of him completely nude in his backyard on Google Street View.
The incident occurred in 2017 in Bragado, a small town about 200 kilometres from Buenos Aires. A Google Street View car happened to drive past the man’s property at the exact moment he was outside in the nude.
The camera captured a clear image of his bare backside. While his face was not shown, his street address was visible — making him easily identifiable.
The image quickly spread throughout the local community. The man, a police officer, became the subject of ridicule, particularly at his workplace. Deeply embarrassed, he filed a lawsuit against Google, citing a breach of privacy and damage to his dignity.
Initially, a lower court dismissed the case, blaming the man for “walking in inappropriate conditions in his yard.” However, on appeal, the National Civil Appeals Chamber in Buenos Aires reversed the ruling, concluding that Google had “intruded” on the man’s private life and “undermined his dignity.”
Google argued that the wall surrounding the man’s property was too low to expect privacy. But an official investigation determined the wall was six feet tall — high enough to establish a reasonable expectation of privacy, effectively invalidating the company’s defense.
The court also noted that Google’s own Street View policies — including the automatic blurring of faces and license plates — showed the company was “fully aware of its obligation to protect people’s privacy.”
In this case, it failed to do so. The platform left the man’s street number unblurred, which contributed to his public identification and subsequent humiliation.
As the judgment memorably stated: “No one wants to appear to the world as God created them.”
Google Argentina and Google Inc. have been ordered to pay 16 million pesos — roughly €12,000 — in compensation. The man shared that the incident had deeply affected both his personal and professional life.
This ruling marks a notable precedent in digital privacy law, affirming that even global tech giants are accountable when individuals’ rights are violated.
