Streetview in Botswana

Google has announced it plans to launch its Streetview service in Botswana after reaching a deal on security and privacy concerns. Streetview takes users on a virtual drive through cities and towns in an increasing number of countries. In an interview with DW, Julie Taylor, head of Communications and Public Relations with Google's sub-Saharan Africa division, explains the Internet giant's intentions in expanding its service to southern Africa.

DW: Miss Taylor, why did Google pick Botswana?

Julie Taylor: We have a presence in a number of African countries. We brought Streetview to South Africa in 2010 just before the World Cup and since then we've been thinking about where to take Streetview next. Botswana was an obvious choice as it's such an attractive country, with its amazing national parks and wildlife. We want to help showcase these parts of Botswana for the rest of the world.

How will Botswana benefit from Google's Streetview service?

There's a number of different ways that countries benefit from Streetview. First of all, Google is interested in providing technology which is useful to people in their day- to- day lives and Streetview has a number of very practical applications. For example, checking out in advance a place that you are visiting, checking whether there is parking available, checking exactly where a restaurant or hotel is located. Streetview also helps to open up new economic opportunities. It's actually a freeway for businesses and tourism organizations in Botswana to showcase what they have to offer, not only to other people in Botswana but also around the world. We're hoping that raising awareness of the characteristics of the country will help to attract more tourists and therefore boost the economy.

How long will it take before Internet users can access Streetview in Botswana?

It's a highly technical process. It takes some time to collect the images and then stitch them all together. It's difficult to put a time frame on it but it would be great if we could get the imagery up on the web by the end of the year, if everything goes according to plan.

What challenges did Google encounter as it sought to bring Streetview to Botswana?

I think one thing that makes Botswana different is that it has all these national parks and so we've had to get 4x4 vehicles so they can go on rough roads and to more remote places in order to visit these amazing destinations. That's something that is a bit different to elsewhere. As in other countries, we want to make sure that residents and users understand what we're doing and make sure that any concerns they may have about Streetview are addressed, for example, if they have concerns about security or privacy.

What kind of privacy and security concerns came up in Botswana?

They weren't really any different from elsewhere. Of course people want to know, if a person is seen walking down the street, will they be identifiable? Or if a car is driving down the road, will the license plates be identifiable? We explain that we have sophisticated technology which automatically detects faces and car license plates and blurs them before the imagery goes live. We respect people's privacy and if they want to take down any imagery they're uncomfortable with, there's a very easy way for them to flag any concerns they might have. When they're in Streetview, there's a link which is called “Report a Problem”, they can click on that link and they can have that imagery removed.

Does Google plan to expand Streetview to other African countries?

It would be great to take Streetview elsewhere. It's a big project and we're just moving one step at a time. We're still collecting imagery in South Africa and we're also busy collecting UNESCO World Heritage sites which is really exciting.

Are there other areas of information and communication technology where Google is looking to invest in Botswana, apart from Streetvirew?

We're involved in initiatives all over Africa to help people access the Internet, to help make it more relevant to people and to create a more sustainable Internet environment. For example, by empowering web developers, partnering with universities and so on. We're focusing on about six or seven African countries at the moment.

Interview: Chrispin Mwakideu

Editor: Mark Caldwell