There's a saying in law that goes: "what cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly." Google is defying this doctrine by bringing back Street View to India (after it was banned in 2016) by partnering with local companies who are allowed to collect geospatial data at the granularity that foreign companies cannot. "Starting today, Street View will be available on Google Maps in India with fresh imagery that we have licensed from our local partners – leading technology companies, Genesys International and Tech Mahindra. Our India launch marks the first time in the world that Street View data collection is being brought to life completely by local partners," Google announced on July 27. Launched in 2007, Street View lets users zoom into places on Google Maps and get 360-degree, street-level imagery of the location as if they were walking down the streets. Why does this matter? Google Street View has a storied history in India and it is important to understand how Street View, which was once banned in India for security reasons, was able to relaunch. Why was Google Street View banned in India: A Timeline May 2011: Google debuted Street View in India, starting with Bangalore, but immediately faced multiple obstacles and objections from the state and central governments because of security concerns from the granular imagery that would become available. Google defended Street View saying that it does not take “imagery of the inner areas of [private] locations" and "what you will see of such public locations is no more…
