Google (News - Alert) Maps is used by the majority of us for nonchalant daily tasks such as trying to scope out a property before visiting or even just casually browsing the web to see if you can see yourself or your car in the driveway through the images on Google Maps (let’s be honest – we’ve all done it). The convenience and usefulness of Google Maps in order to explore the world has become so acclaimed that Google has even made a Google Maps app for users on the go. But what if it is not your lack of lawn care or messy yard you are worried about being exposed by Google, but rather something far more serious and emotionally unsettling.

Jose Barrera of Richmond, California contacted Google when he claimed by using the satellite view feature on Google Maps he could see the dead body of his teenage son. Kevin Barrera was just fourteen years old when he was shot and killed in 2009, and his body was found near a railroad track in Richmond on August 15; his killer has not yet found. This address is the one that Jose Barrera claims that by viewing it on Google Maps exposes the lifeless body of his fourteen year old son. A painful reminder of his son’s brutal murder, Barrera contacted Google in order to have this picture removed from the internet.

Vice president of Google Maps, Brian McClendon, responded to Barrera’s claims. “Google has never accelerated the replacement of updated satellite imagery before, but given the circumstances we wanted to make an exception in this case,” McClendon stated in a written statement which was sent to CNN and other media outlets on Monday, revealing that the picture of the slain fourteen year old Kevin Barrera is not the only controversial Google Maps picture to date. The list of complaints and claims is much longer than one would think.

Another example is that of a Pennsylvania couple in 2008, who actually sued Google because their home being shown on Street View diminished the value of their home. Google Maps is controversial even outside of U.S. borders, for in Germany political leaders requested the option for households to refuse to be located on Street View. Although Google Maps may be seemingly controversial and sometimes detrimental in regards to coincidental photos of crime scenes, it makes one wonder if through Google Maps we can use the invasion of privacy towards catching crime not only on camera but for the greater good of society.

Some good examples of using Google Earth to prevent crime was talked about in an article in The Week from August of 2010, revealing that Google Earth had been used to find Dean Brown’s 18 pounds of pot in Wisconsin in 2007 and even a team effort between Google and the Surui Indian tribe in Brazil to keep loggers and miners out of their reservation to prevent deforestation. Google Maps efforts were extremely effective, and deforestation has decreased to lower numbers than they have seen in decades. So through all the mishaps and controversies surrounding the images found on Google Maps, one can be hopeful that  some of the images can use their power for good and maybe even bring crime-doers to justice as well as bring closure to families like that of Kevin Barrera. Google spokeswoman Megan Quinn stated, “we feel an obligation to help groups like this when it is so clear that our tools can make an important positive impact,” giving us all hope that our ever-evolving technologies can help society become a better place.

Edited by Ryan Sartor