Google Maps banned for military pictures
Pentagon bans Google from taking images and video of military installations. Services like Google Earth are viewed by many to be nothing more than an interesting curiosity. However, for the U.S. military and other world governments the satellite images and other footage Google offers on its Earth service represents a big security risk. BBC News reports that the Pentagon has banned Google from filming inside and making detailed studies of U.S. military bases. The ban comes after detailed footage from inside and outside of the U.S. military base at Fort Sam Houston in Texas turned on up Google Earth’s Street View service. Street View is a service of Google Earth that allows users of the application to travel down streets from the perspective of a car driver.
The problem the Pentagon had with these images was that they were shot with great detail and were found to represent a significant security risk. The defense department said in a statement quoted by BBC News, “Images include 360-degree views of the covered area to include access control points, barriers, headquarters, facilities and community areas.” The fear is that terrorists could use the detailed images to develop plans to attack the base. The U.S. military isn’t the only military force that has had problem with images shown on Google Earth. In July of 2007 that satellite imagery form Google Earth had shown a new Chinese ballistic missile sub in dock. Indian officials became irate when images of its new Sukhoi 30 MK1 aircraft turned up on Google Earth as well.
Source: Dailytech, BBC
haha funny.
Google was set up with money from the NSA. It cooperates with all US Govt Agencies, who have mirrors of its software infrastructure. This story is just hype, a smokescreen, baby.
“Pentagon bans Google from taking images and video of military installations.”
Was it ever legal for a bunch of guys to walk onto a military base and videotape everything and post it onto the internet?
Yeah, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with stopping Google from doing that…
most military bases in Australia have signs everywhere saying that its illegal to “Trespass, photograph, or shoot over” this area. i’m not joking, they actually have the nerve to tell people not to shoot over their base…who do they think they are?
lol.. the US must take extra precaution coz they’re being paranoid since the 9/11 incident.
@6 this isn’t extra precautions due to 9/11, ever since the camera was invented they havn’t liked people taking photos of military installations. no country has.
Google, putting spies out of work since 2007…catchy slogan
@ 6
they have always been paranoid and naive..
my bro was in the army and all the bases he was at didnt let them take pics or anything so this is old news lol
Oh well terrorists will have to get their pics the old fasioned way, with recon and spies.
i wonder when will they catch ppl f***cking
“Indian officials became irate when images of its new Sukhoi 30 MK1 aircraft turned up on Google Earth as well.”
- Other important secrets are still visible!
If all the images are like the one above, what is the problem? It shows nothing more than what someone walking past would see. It doesn’t show what’s beyond the gate because they haven’t gained access, nor WOULD they. If we’ve become that paranoid that we can’t show what’s visible from the street, we should cover these facilities in a giant black tarp or else start building them underground.
@2 - you’re being paranoid. Get help.
when china and other countries asked google to ban images from their military sites, people called it dictatorship and censorship and google shouldnt bow to their demands.
now the US asks the exact same thing, and suddenly the hypocrites say it is ok and google should ban them.
seriously, westerners are more brainwashed than they ever will know.
Like #9 zookeeper525 said, his bro was the first to discover this long time ago, old news.
No seriously, I’m with #13 on this. Why bother about pictures that anyone can take on their own from the streets? If they want to keep something secret, then keep it out of view!
Perhaps they are jealous because they are spending billions on spying while the “terrorists” get the same info for free on Google? Americans trying to make up for their stupidity by being more stupid, nothing new.
Area51 anyone? LOL.
Seriously, this is load of crap. What can photo from outside and from space do to military base. Many people drive by military bases and they can clearly see how it looks like. So what is the problem. We see “gun lovin’” Americans and their “tehnology” on Discovery……man I never saw a show (series) in other countries that are gun crazy. Only in USA.
@14
#2 is correct. Google was indeed seedfunded in the early days by the NSA, and that money was channeled to Google through the CIA. All the current US security agencies can currently access the entire Google software infrasutructure, which means they can tell what was searched by you on any date in the last 10 years either by sorting to your IP or MAC address.
This information is all in the public domain. You can even Google for it!
If you’re not paranoid about this, you’re a fool. Why do think Google’s so popular and so rich?
…maybe they’re hiding something? :O
Americans are just idiots, why build bases near places where ppl live.
@6 but we all seen videos we all know it wasnt the terrorist but it was setup by you know who so they could have an excuse to enter iraq.
they caught me sunbathing nude in my back yard can we get those photos banned too?
Goggle is subject to the same rules every military on earth has enforced since the invention of photography? My god, what is the world coming to?
India has weapons??
Was that a picture of the entire Indian Air Force?
@15
You fool, Google is located in the US. It is in their best interests to obey the US military since they keep Google safe.
Try type in “area 51″ a blank area pops up
Old news. But fun still!
20 years in USAF, there was very few restrictions at any military facility I visited. Photography was restricted at some facilities, but that was the exception.
Google Earth is a great benefit to free people everywhere. I want to know who has what and where. The last people I believe are government sources. Do I care the Chinese don’t like it, or India, or the US for that matter?
Most military installations have such lite security it is a joke. Security is simply what is perceived and not reality. I worked on one of the first overseas anti terrorist teams. Ours was unique, we played the part of the terrorist and our job was to infiltrate bases that were in the middle of high level exercises.
I was personally able to approach close enough to 23 aircraft in one particular exercise, close enough to plant stickers that said “Simulated Bomb” on each one, including an AWACS aircraft that had two armed guards at each end. In fact at one point I was photographed standing directly behind a sleeping guard on the flight line, his weapon on the seat beside him.
The solution is not to ban Google Maps from displaying this material, it should be used as a wake up call that their security is lax and should be overhauled. The military is fully capable of keeping secrets, there just lazy.
BTW, I love this site! Great work by all involved!
Johnny
Wow either USA and China and India are *really* paranoid or they are bluffing about how strong their defence systems really are.
If I owned a military installation that was armed to the teeth and I was happy with how secure it was, I wouldn’t mind showing it to the world. Then the terrorist would simply know to bugger off and go raid someone else.
HOW DOES ANY OF THESE TYPE OF TOPICS TURN INTO USA BASHING? WE IN THE REST OF THE WORLD NEED TO CALM DOWN ALREADY AND FIND SOMETHING BETTER TO DO.
@28: You can start with turning caps lock off.
@28
Because the USA has pretty much become a fascist state where the majority of people who live are unaware or dont care about what their government is doing. Why bash the states? Umm they invade other countries to gain assets or advantage, they stifle their own press and rights of their own people and are quite happy to leave parts of the country to melt into third world chaos (New Orleans). Their economy exerts a massive influence on everyone else, but its going down the toilet, oh and yeah, they invented the CAPS LOCK key, which is just plain annoying…
^^^
Terrorists? Lol! Do people still believe that crap?
@30
If this is fascism I’m currently living in then I must say that I condone fascism wholeheartedly.
All the millions of immigrants flooding into the US annually(both legally and illegally) must also believe that fascism is a higher quality lifestyle, too? Either that or they’re gluttons for punishment, eh? And I don’t mean just the Mexicans.
But hey, don’t let the secret out, okay? I don’t want fascism to collapse here in the jolly old US! I couldn’t imagine a day gone by without fascism.
See you in the unemployment line (again) on Monday. Or maybe on the bus.
^^^
US bashing isn’t any fun. They’re too stupid to think up good retorts.
How exactly do they ban google? Wouldnt it just be a case of whether a crime is being committed by taking these images or not?
I really dislike how people refer to Westerners when they are taking issue with the US.
You’re guys’ obsession with the US is duly noted.
Ah… the poor life of those too jealous to see what is right in front of them.
dosguy, do you not understand the word inside? not the brightest cat are you?
@common sense - we banned them in the US for our security, we won’t ban photo’s of China because why would we give a f*ck? Not our problem. Live with it.
The reasons for banning detailed photos and exact mapping of military bases is for quite valid reasons. If you think otherwise and can’t see the obvious reasons, you’re an idiot.
USA, what a bunch or paranoid loonies.
@ Alfred
In cse u didn’t know, they are the only Asian country barring China who have developed their own tech to create the N-Bomb & H-Bomb. They were the 1st Asian contry to send a sat in space and have a really formidable array of missile weaponary. What they still lack is a good sub. Why do you think the US is so eager these days to sign a N-treaty with the Indians?
@12 Johney666
Man I wonder why they havn’t thought about sueing Google’s a%s seriously yet. Or do they keep those things lying in the open just to show off (considering their relationship with China and specially the Phakistan)?
“Look in the eastern sky - Look for the light”…
@42 wait till the people’s army fries your a** you five star dimwitted moron