What can I see using Nearmap imagery?
Nearmap Imagery is captured from overhead and is generally between 5cm and 15cm resolution. This means that, at the highest zoom level, each pixel on your screen shows a point on the ground between 5cm x 5cm and 15cm x 15cm.
Can I be identified?
No, individuals cannot be identified through Nearmap Imagery. Nearmap’s aerial photos are taken from overhead and are at a much lower resolution compared to street level photos. As a result, our aerial photos do not contain sufficiently clear imagery to identify individuals.
To protect my privacy, will Nearmap blur images of an address?
The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) governs how certain organizations collect, use, store or disclose ‘personal information’, which is defined as information that allows a particular individual to be identified or reasonably identified. Nearmap assures you that it complies with all Australian privacy legislation and respects your privacy interests.
As listed above, Nearmap Imagery is unable to be used to identify individuals. For this reason, Nearmap does not blur out any aerial imagery.
Other companies blur out images if requested; why doesn’t Nearmap do the same?
Some companies make street level photos available to the public, such as Google’s “StreetView” and Microsoft’s Bing “Street Side” photos. The perspective and resolution of these street level photos may allow individuals and other personal information to be identified from the images. Some of the providers of street level photos offer an option to remove or blur out parts of these higher resolution images if they disclose personal information in an inappropriate manner.
Nearmap does not presently provide street level photos that belong to Nearmap on its website. Street level photos made available on its website belong to Google, and Google is responsible for managing those images. We are not aware of any government or commercial supplier in Australia which offers this option in relation to aerial photos. As explained in FAQ #4, we believe that we comply with all Australian privacy laws and do not offer an option to blur out images.
Who should I contact if I want to discuss any further privacy issues?
We would be pleased to discuss any concerns you have. Please contact us by sending an email to privacy.officer@nearmap.com, or writing to us at the address below. We also encourage you to read Nearmap’s Privacy Policy for further information.
Nearmap Australia Pty Ltd
Level 4, Tower One, 100 Barangaroo Avenue,
BARANGAROO NSW 2000, Australia
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner may also be able to provide further information and assistance. For your convenience we have provided their contact information below.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Telephone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Website: www.oaic.gov.au