Google Earth in danger of losing its focus

12 Mar 2009

Joel Anderson, California State Assembly Republican Member, is proposing a new "security" measure that will require Google - and other providers of similar map data - to blur images of schools, churches, hospitals and government buildings to prevent terrorists from gathering detailed information on potential targets.

Following reported stories that the Mumbai terrorists used Google Earth to establish the precise location of their targets and plan their attacks, Anderson's proposed bill would prohibit operators such as Google Earth from making aerial or satellite images of schools, places of worship, medical facilities or government buildings available to the public or providing street view photographs or imagery, unless those images have been blurred, despite the fact that there are still printed maps.

Violations would be considered a criminal offence, incurring a minimum fine of US$0.25 million per day, and executive officers who are aware of such violations by their companies risk jail terms of between one and three years.

To add insult to injury, Google would receive no reimbursement for the massive job it would be to blur the offending images.