Google bends to German privacy concerns

(AP) -- Google Inc. says it has doubled the time Germans have to opt out of participation in its "Street View" feature, which has sparked a fierce public debate on privacy concerns.

Philipp Schindler, Google's vice president for Northern and Central Europe, said in a statement Thursday that Germans will now have eight weeks, instead of four, to request images of their homes be deleted.

Google recently announced it will introduce "Street View" for 20 German cities in November, raising concerns in this privacy-conscious country.

At authorities' insistence, the company created an online tool Germans can use to request pictures of their homes be removed. But many politicians insisted the initial four-week deadline to submit the request was insufficient.