This opt out is a positive, likely carved out by litigation, in a very very negative space for privacy rights.

It's not, it's less than Google used to do for these requests. In 2009, I requested my house be taken off streetview. They removed it by skipping mine and a few houses on each side.

Then they went down my back lane, so everyone got a good look at my back yard anyway.

Privacy today is a never ending battle, but Google started this nonsense a long time ago.