Google’s street-view service for Switzerland could be switched off unless the country’s supreme court overturns a ruling requiring a guarantee of anonymity for anyone pictured, the company said.

Google is seeking the lifting of a temporary court order which has prevented it from updating its Google Street View service in Switzerland for more than a year.

SWITZERLAND’S data protection chief said the country needs new rules to regulate Internet services such as Google which could pose a problem for individuals’ privacy.

Google’s unstoppable drive to map and photograph the world has run into an immovable object – Switzerland’s strict tradition of personal privacy.

Switzerland today demanded Google remove any image of the country in its “Street View” maps claiming they broke strict privacy laws.