But this kind interpretation of internet freedom has obviously gone too far since freedom can't be won at the expense of others' rights or the public interest. An invasion of a boy's privacy cannot be justified by internet freedom.
The question is whether Google should be responsible for the violation.
Google argued it only served as a platform for web users to upload and share their videos. It could thus not be held accountable for the content of those videos -- a case comparable to prosecuting the postal system for hate letters sent by mail.
The argument sounds reasonable, but there is one point missing: A letter is not addressed to the public, and a postman doesn't know the content.
Yet Google is helping web users make their videos public, and has every opportunity to see the contents, if it wants.
After being posted on Google's site, the video ranked among the site's most popular and had the highest amount of downloads. Therefore, Google must have known about the existence of the video and the cause for its popularity.
Google's reluctance to act indicates a lack of moral responsibility.
In order to attract web users, some websites have been using the tactic of posting materials exposing others' privacy or with indecent content. Faced with fierce competition and tempted with profits, they compromise their social responsibility.
In the case of Street View, Google was criticized for neglecting to protect people's privacy.
European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding warned she would closely monitor personal data protection issues.
"In Europe, we have high standards for data protection. I expect that all companies play according to the rules of the game," she said in a statement.
With a dominant position in the internet search market, Google was also accused of manipulating its ranking of search results, putting rivals at a disadvantage.
Ironically, Google suggested it was Microsoft that was behind those antitrust complaints. The U.S. software giant had been involved in a legal battle with the European Commission for years due to antitrust charges.
