Google, which has been the subject of privacy concerns due to its "Street View" service that shows street level pictures of cities around the world, announced that it now covers all seven continents with its inclusion of images taken in Antartica.

The service's images of Antartica are currently limited to panoramic landscapes and pictures of penguins on Half Moon Island submitted by users.

Since its release three years ago, the service has received a mixed reception. Many users have praised the service, however, it has been criticized in Europe, with many people considering Street View to be intrusive.

Earlier this month, Czech authorities banned the company from collecting images for the service, saying that it "unacceptably interfere with people's privacy." Google has lodged an appeal on the ruling.

Google was forced to launch a campaign that addresses user concerns over safety and privacy in Germany. For eight weeks, users were allowed to ask the company to pixel out pictures of their businesses and homes before publication.