Google bends to German privacy concerns on 'Street view'

BERLIN: Google Inc says it has doubled the time Germans have to opt out of participation in its ``Street View'' feature, which has sparked a fierce public debate on privacy concerns.

Philipp Schindler, Google's vice president for Northern and Central Europe, said in a statement Thursday that Germans will now have eight weeks, instead of four, to request images of their homes be deleted.

Google recently announced it will introduce ``Street View'' for 20 German cities in November, raising concerns in this privacy-conscious country.

At authorities' insistence, the company created an online tool Germans can use to request pictures of their homes be removed. But many politicians insisted the initial four-week deadline to submit the request was insufficient.