Commentary
Google Pays ₱730K After Man Caught Naked on Street View
In a case that’s both bizarre and eye-opening (literally), a man was awarded nearly ₱730,000 (about $12,500) in damages after being accidentally captured naked by a Google Street View camera while walking in his own backyard.
The man, a police officer in Argentina, was just minding his business, in the nude, in what he believed was the privacy of his home back in 2017. But Google’s ever-roaming camera cars happened to pass by and caught a full view of his bare behind.
The man sued Google, saying the incident damaged his dignity and subjected him to ridicule at work and in his neighborhood. He insisted he was inside a walled property, protected by a 6.5-foot barrier.
The court highlighted that Google has long been aware of the need to protect people’s privacy, citing the company’s practice of blurring faces and license plates on Street View. But in this case, it wasn’t a face, it was a completely exposed body, which the court said should have also been blurred or never captured at all.
“There is no doubt that there was an unjustified intrusion into another person’s life,” the judges wrote. “No one wants to appear to the world as they did the day they were born.”
Google has previously faced privacy issues with Street View. Back in 2019, it settled a $13 million case over the unauthorized collection of people’s private data through the same service.
And while Google says anyone can request to blur their face, car, house—or even body, through their “Report a problem” tool, it seems this man didn’t even get the chance before he became an unintended landmark.
Is this even possible in the Philippines?
Technically, yes. Google Street View has mapped large parts of Metro Manila, major cities like Cebu and Davao, and even remote towns. While Google uses software to blur faces and license plates, it’s still possible for a person to be accidentally captured in a compromising situation, especially in areas where homes have low fences or open front yards, a common sight in many Filipino communities.
And unlike in colder countries where people rarely hang out half-naked outside, Filipinos love open-air living. We dry clothes in the driveway, drink beer by the gutter, and yes, sometimes walk around in boxers or duster just to hang clothes, receive orders from riders or water the plants.
If it happened to someone here, would the same kind of justice apply?
What if it ended up on KMJS? What if your neighbor saw it? Would you laugh? Cry? Sue? Or repost it with a filter and your GCash QR code?
Our fences are low and rumors are high, so yes, this could happen to you.
Team Blur or Team GCash?
“Imagine a scooter faster than your car—160 km/h on EDSA. Would you ride it, or would you run from it?”
If this hits our roads, it’s either the coolest thing you’ll see this year… or the quickest way to trend on Facebook for all the wrong reasons.
UK-based Bo is building the Bo M Turbo, an electric scooter aiming to break the world speed record at over 160 km/h. That’s faster than most cars in Metro Manila traffic—if you can even reach full throttle before hitting a jeepney.
The Turbo packs a 24kW dual-motor system, a 1.8kWh battery, Formula 1-inspired cooling, and quad-piston disc brakes. It even has a power-to-weight ratio higher than a Bugatti Veyron.
Bo’s team includes former Formula 1 and Bloodhound Land Speed Record engineers. They’re taking the Turbo to Bonneville Speed Week in Utah to prove it’s the fastest scooter in the world.
Built for Speed, Priced for the Rich
- Top speed: 160+ km/h
- Range: Up to 241 km at cruising speed (28 km/h)
- Price: Around $29,500 (~₱1.7M)
Not exactly a GrabBike replacement—this is for someone with a Mercedes-AMG in the garage who wants a smaller toy.
The Cheaper Option
Bo also sells the Model M for about ₱94,000, with a 35 km/h top speed and 48 km range. Good for city commutes without scaring pedestrians.
Would you ride a 160 km/h scooter in Manila, or should it stay on the race track?
Lamborghini is in a legal showdown with one of its U.S. dealers, accusing it of selling high-end supercars to unauthorized middlemen — and in some cases, to individuals linked to “drug dealers and pimps.”
At the center of the dispute is Gold Coast Exotic Imports in Chicago, Illinois. The Italian carmaker claims the dealership breached its contract by selling at least 32 vehicles in 2023 to brokers instead of directly to retail buyers or other authorized dealers.
Court filings allege that some buyers had no intention of keeping the cars, flipping them instead for hefty profits. In one example, Lamborghini says a car went to someone previously convicted of fraud tied to laundering money through luxury car sales to criminal networks.
The brand also accuses Gold Coast of demanding off-the-books kickbacks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for access to limited-edition models. Since 2019, Lamborghini claims to have paid the dealership over $4 million in incentive bonuses.
Gold Coast denies the allegations, countering that Lamborghini has withheld funds for showroom upgrades, failed to cover marketing costs, and is trying to push out its president, 81-year-old Joseph Perillo Sr. The dealership has taken its grievances to the Illinois Motor Vehicle Review Board.
Despite the heated exchanges, both sides told U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer they are in talks for an out-of-court settlement. If that fails, a trial could take place in December 2026.
This dispute follows another high-profile scandal involving Ferrari’s German dealer Mertel Italo Cars, accused of fraud and swiftly cut off by the brand. For Italy’s supercar makers, the twin controversies highlight the ongoing challenge of keeping their exclusive cars out of speculative or criminal hands — and protecting their carefully crafted image.
Quezon City went full force on August 8, 2025, with a large-scale “One-Time Big-Time” operation along G. Araneta Avenue, from Kaliraya Street to Palanza Street. The city aimed to keep roads clear, ease traffic, and prevent flooding caused by clogged drainage and obstructions.
The drive started at 8:00 a.m. and targeted several problem areas:
- Clearing streets and canals filled with garbage
- Removing illegal street dwellers
- Taking out road and sidewalk obstructions
- Towing illegally parked vehicles
- Issuing tickets to ordinance violators
The coordinated effort brought together the Traffic and Transport Management Department (TTMD), Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS), District Sanitation and Quality Control (DSQC), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Social Services Development Department (SSDD), Public Employment Service Office (PESO), and Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (QCDRRMO), with support from local barangays.
City officials who oversaw the operation included TTMD Head Dexter C. Cardenas, DPOS Clearing and Demolition Chief Remigio B. Gregorio, former District 1 councilor Ollie Belmonte, District IV Action Officer Atty. Zandy Zacate, and MDAD Head P/Col Alex D.J. Alberto (Ret.) PhD.
This was a follow-up to an earlier clearing operation held on August 6, 2025.
The city reminded residents to keep surroundings clean, avoid littering, and follow local laws. Officials stressed that discipline is a shared responsibility—not just the government’s job.
