As the article describes it, the street level views in New York are detailed enough to recognize that there are people, and in some cases what the unidentifiable person might be doing.

San Francisco, where street level views were added much more recently, probably is the only one thus far where individuals can be recognized and can be identified with some confidence.

At present, the article indicates that New York was the first, and San Francisco the most recent of about four cities where detailed street level views are available now. It's the remarkable improvement in detail between the two, and the suggestion that all future additions of this feature will likely be of the same quality as the latest one - or better - that the writer findes scary.

While Londoners are accustomed to being observed by street cams plugged into the local cop-shops almost ubiquitously, and may consider it normal, most in the US remain "more private" (note: other words can be used) in their attitude toward "being watched."

This latter (US) attitude may be related to the willingness, within some segments of US populations, to condemn and demand prohibition of "immoral acts" on the part of others while hoping no one will know that the banned activity is among the individual's own favorite pastimes(?).

John