A man in Argentina has won a legal battle against Google, which must now pay him roughly Rs 10.8 lakh ($12,500) in damages after a Google Street View car captured and published an image of him completely nude in his backyard.The incident occurred in 2017 in a small Argentine town, where the man—a police officer—was sunbathing behind what he described as a 6-foot-6 wall when the Street View camera snapped the revealing photo. Not only was his bare backside visible online, but the image also showed his house number and street name without any blurring, making him instantly identifiable to neighbours and colleagues.Feeling humiliated and mocked at work, the man took Google to court in 2019. At first, a lower court sided with the tech giant, ruling that he should not have been outside in an “inappropriate condition”. But this month, an appeals court overturned that verdict, saying the image clearly violated his privacy.“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 panel stated. The judges noted that Google’s failure to obscure the man’s identity stood in stark contrast to its own guidelines, which promise automatic blurring of faces and licence plates to protect individuals’ privacy.The court called the breach “blatant,” emphasising that “no one wants to appear exposed to the world as the day they were born”.Google argued that the wall surrounding the property was not high enough, but the court was not convinced. It highlighted that the man’s “entire naked body” was visible in the image and should have been flagged under Google’s review systems.Also Read | Sam Altman predicts AI will change education in 18 years, colleges will become obsolete: ‘My son will never be smarter than…’On its official site, Google notes, “We have developed cutting-edge face and license plate blurring technology,” and also offers users the option to request blurring of homes, cars, or people via its “Report a problem” tool.Story continues below this adThis is not the first time Google has faced legal heat over its Street View programme. Back in 2019, the company agreed to a $13 million settlement over privacy concerns tied to its data collection. And in 2010, it was ordered to pay just $1 in damages to a Pennsylvania couple after trespassing on their property.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd