Google must compensate a man captured naked on Street View in Bragado.

A man living in the city of Bragado, in the province of Buenos Aires, will be compensated by Google after being photographed naked in his backyard using Street View. The ruling was reported this week by local media and confirmed that the tech giant must pay financial compensation for violating his right to privacy and image.

The incident occurred when one of Google's cars, equipped with 360° cameras, drove through the streets of Bragado conducting an urban survey. In the process, it captured an image of the front of a house. From that angle, the owner was seen inside the property, in the yard, naked. The photograph was taken from a public street, but clearly showed the man from behind.

Although Street View typically blurs faces by default, it wasn't enough in this case. According to the lawsuit, the fact that the image included the front of the house, coupled with the small town, allowed the subject to be easily identified by neighbors and acquaintances.

The situation escalated when the case was reported on a local newscast and then retweeted on social media. Following the exposure, the man expressed deep shame, leading him to retreat to his home and withdraw from his usual surroundings.

The lawsuit argued that, although the face was not visible, the location's identification made the image have a strong personal, professional, and social impact. The complainant was subjected to ridicule and comments from coworkers and neighbors.

Given these facts, the Argentine court ruled in favor of the plaintiff and ordered Google to pay a sum of approximately $12,500, equivalent to 16 million pesos at the official exchange rate. The court found that the victim's right to privacy and image had been violated, and ordered financial compensation for the damage caused to his dignity.

The ruling also required the company to remove the image. The ruling emphasized that while Google has permission to perform mapping tasks, in this case there was a failure to protect privacy. In the words of the court: "No one wants to appear to the universe as God sent them into the world."

The ruling was upheld by the National Court of Civil Appeals, which rejected the appeals filed by both Google Argentina and Google Inc. Thus, the conviction became final and the company must comply with the ruling.

The Bragado case reopens the debate about the boundaries between the use of technological tools for public purposes and respect for individual privacy. While services like Street View are useful for navigation and reference purposes, they can also lead to undesirable situations when appropriate filters are not applied.

In this specific case, the image was not taken with the intention of causing harm, but the consequences were serious for the person affected. The widespread dissemination and involuntary exposure caused a deterioration in the victim's daily life, according to the court file.

Google did not issue a public statement after learning of the ruling, although it is estimated that the company will proceed with the removal of the image and the corresponding payment.

The ruling sets a precedent in the region regarding the use of images captured by digital platforms and the need to strengthen privacy protection mechanisms. In small cities, where neighbors are closer together, an image that would otherwise go unnoticed can have a much deeper impact.

For the protagonist of the case, the court ruling represents closure to a situation that emotionally affected him and exposed him to his community. While the damage had already been done, the ruling recognizes his right to dignity and establishes clear limits on the privacy responsibilities of large technology corporations.