Street-level imagery data

Street-level imagery captures the built environment in detail, and raises clear privacy questions. This guide covers sourcing it responsibly.

Why street imagery matters

Ground-level imagery supports mapping, asset surveying, property and insurance assessment, and feature extraction (signs, conditions). It complements aerial and satellite views.

Privacy is central

Street imagery captures people and vehicles, so privacy is a primary concern. Faces and plates are typically blurred, and the GDPR applies. Responsible sourcing requires anonymisation at capture or processing.

The data landscape

• Imagery: panoramic or directional captures.
• Derived features: detected objects and conditions.
• Coverage and currency: where and how recent.

Common use cases

Mapping and navigation, asset and infrastructure surveying, property and insurance assessment, and accessibility audits.

Sourcing considerations

Coverage, currency and licensing vary, and anonymisation (blurring) is essential. Derived features are often the deliverable. Geospatial referencing matters.

In a managed model

A managed partner can source anonymised street imagery and derive features with privacy handling.

Privacy is central

Street imagery captures the built environment in detail but also people and vehicles, so privacy is primary: faces and plates are typically blurred, and the GDPR applies, requiring anonymisation at capture or processing. Derived features are often the deliverable rather than raw imagery.

Coverage and referencing

Coverage, currency and licensing vary, and geospatial referencing is central to combining it with other layers for mapping, assets and insurance.

Sources & further reading

• EDPB: guidance on imagery and personal data.
• EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).
• Mapping and imagery providers.
• Open Geospatial Consortium: location standards.