  Computer vision-based analysis of street view imagery has transformative
impacts on environmental assessments. Interactive web services, particularly
Google Street View, play an ever-important role in making imagery data
ubiquitous. Despite the technical ease of harnessing millions of Google Street
View images, this article questions the current practices in using this
proprietary data source from a European viewpoint. Our concern lies with
Google's terms of service, which restrict bulk image downloads and the
generation of street view image-based indices. To reconcile the challenge of
advancing society through groundbreaking research while maintaining data
license agreements and legal integrity, we believe it is crucial to 1) include
an author's statement on using proprietary street view data and the directives
it entails, 2) negotiate academic-specific license to democratize Google Street
View data access, and 3) adhere to open data principles and utilize open image
sources for future research.
