Search giant Google's 'Street View' has come under the scanner again, this time from the data protection authorities in Germany, who have threatened Google with unspecified sanctions if it does not agree to comply with Germany's strict privacy laws.

Google's Street View programme, augments online maps with photos, providing a 'street view' of the searched or mapped location, and provides almost unparalleled detail and breadth of images by using vehicles equipped with periscope-like cameras to collect the imagery with 360-degree panoramic images of homes and businesses and places.

After receiving more than 300 complaints over the collection of images for Street View from Hamburg and 15 other German states, Johannes Caspar, head of the data protection agency for Hamburg city has given Google a deadline to sort out the 12 points that he has put regarding Street View's data retention issues.

Germany's problem with Google 'Street View' project is slightly different to that of other countries.

People in many countries have objected to Google's 'Street View' map imagery, since they feel it too intrusive and requires to be shut down.

Germany, on the other hand, has no problem with Google collecting data for its 'Street View' project, but German authorities want the changes made after collecting the data, like obscuring people's faces or licence plates to be destroyed and not stored since Google's policy is to store the original raw data.

Google, argues that in order to make its automated blurring technology more accurate, it requires to retain the original data since deleting the data would harm that learning process.

Google contends that its software, which is nearly 100 per cent accurate, automatically blurs faces and license plates.

The German authorities however are not convinced and want their own technology experts to investigate and find out as whether Google's claims are justified.

Hamburg authorities have threatened to go ahead and fine Google if the company does not agree to the 12 points and said that they would stop the search giant from collecting more data for its 'Street View' project since Germany strict privacy law prohibits anyone from displaying publicly photos of people or their property without their approval.

The German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Bonn, said that Germany could levy Google, fines up to nearly $136,000 apart from citizens also suing Google in German court if the company does not adhere to the country's privacy laws.

Google said it is working closely with the German data protection authorities and said in a statement "After positive discussions with the German Data Protection Authorities we have made good progress towards finding solutions to their concerns about Street View."

Google's 'Street View', which debuted in the US in 2007, is currently available in 11 countries, including the US, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Australia, Japan and the Netherlands, had run into problems after its launch it in Britain last month as people complained that it breached and invaded their privacy.

Villagers of Broughton in southern England stopped the company's vehicle taking photographs of their homes to incorporate in Google Street View, the popular service that allows internet users to see high-quality photos of houses and streets around the world. (See: British villagers stop vehicle taking photographs for Google Street View)

Villagers had stopped the company's vehicle and confronted the driver over fears of additional burglaries in their village made possible by invasive photos of their homes.

Last month, Google's 'Street View' was cleared by the UK Information Commissioner's which had received demands for the service to be shut down for being intrusive. (See: Google's 'Street View' cleared by UK privacy watchdog)

After its launch in the UK, the Google service exposed many people accidentally when online users found a man walking out of a sex shop and another being sick outside a pub.

One woman is reported to have filed for divorce after Google's Street View showed her husband's car parked outside another woman's house.

The UK watchdog wanted the common sense of people to prevail and said, ''However, it is important to highlight that putting images of people on Google Street View is very unlikely to formally breach the Data Protection Act. Watch the TV news any day this week and you will see people walking past reporters in the street. Some football fans' faces will be captured on match of the day and local news programmes this weekend – without their consent, but perfectly legally.''

Street View has sparked concern elsewhere as well. In the US, Google removed images of shelters for battered women. In the Netherlands, concerns have been raised about the safety of anyone trying to photograph Amsterdam's notorious Red Light district. So far, Google's images stop just outside the district.

In Italy, consumer groups have raised a variety of concerns and asked Google to put visual and sound warnings on the cars that take its Street View pictures. (See: Google makes faces in its Street View photos unrecognizable)