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Privacy groups are keeping a close eye on internet giant Google as it prepares to publish images of thousands of Kiwi homes on its Street View website.
Cars fitted with specialised cameras have been roaming the roads of New Zealand for six months, taking pictures of houses, buildings and anything else in their paths.
The company says the pictures will go online "in the second half of this year".
The site offers 360-degree panoramic views at ground level.
Fifty one cities in the United States and parts of France and Italy are already on the internet, and Google has been photographing much of Britain and Australia to post later this year.
Its ultimate aim is to provide street views of the world.
The move has raised privacy concerns internationally and prompted calls for the amount of information on the site to be limited.
Critics in Britain and Australia say Street View may capture images of people in compromising situations without their knowledge and could be used by criminals to pinpoint homes or buildings.
Council for Civil Liberties chairman Michael Bott was concerned about some parts of the proposal, particularly permanent records of private homes being put on the internet.
"This appears to be a huge leap into a surveillance society. We're reaching the stage where people will have to close their curtains."
Netsafe chief executive Martin Crocker said New Zealanders were probably oblivious to the fact their streets and homes were about to go on-line.
"I think generally, our ability to maintain any privacy is really threatened by information technology. This is another step forward.
"Our main concern is these things are undertaken and the implications in terms of safety and security are considered afterwards."
Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff says she will be watching the New Zealand content closely.
Google had been in touch with her office to outline its plans and would protect privacy by blurring faces and number plates.
"However, only time will tell if these measures prove sufficient and satisfactory for New Zealanders."
Google's spokesman in Australia, Rob Shilkin, could not say which areas of New Zealand would appear on the site.
"We have been collecting images for six months. It's a substantial part of the country."
Shilkin said the company had not received any specific complaints from New Zealanders.
"That's not to say we aren't taking the issue extremely seriously."
He said the site had been designed so people could easily have images removed if they felt they were "sensitive or inappropriate".
"We put users in control of the information on the site.
"This product doesn't feature any imagery which is not visible from public roads."
He said Google had spoken to a number of groups in New Zealand to allay any privacy fears and the response had been "very positive".
Shilkin said Street View would be popular for tourism promoters, real estate agents, friends living apart and teachers, who could offer "virtual geography trips", including the route of the Tour de France cycle race.
