Google has taken its Street View mapping around the world to let people see places like the Antarctica and Legoland. But now it has expanded even further by allowing people to look inside businesses.

It uses the same cameras the Street View project, and lets people who log on to the site pan and zoom in 360 degrees around the image. The images are so detailed that people can even see what’s on shelves.

By zooming in and out they are also able to take a virtual tour of bars and restaurants before going there. Google has said that with Business Street View it hopes to avoid the controversy that surrounded Street View, which has been attacked by privacy campaigners.

The search engine giant has requested that customers who are in the shops when the new filming will take place be told what is going on and be given the option to leave. The move indicates the greater infiltration of digital technology into people’s lives and the growing trend in monitoring our online movements.