The court ruling only applies if the pictures are taken at eye level, which is why older street view images can't be accessed (the first time they rolled it out

The court ruling only applies if the pictures are taken at eye level, which is why older street view images can't be accessed (the first time they rolled it out, they used cameras at a height of over 3m). This was an expected judgement all the time. The height restriction is as people have a reasonable expectation of privacy behind their hedges or fences in their own backyard.