Satellite map images with missing or unclear data
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Some locations on free, publicly-viewable satellite map services, have missing, incomplete, or unclear map data. In some cases, these regions have been intentionally digitally obscured or blurred.[1] Westchester County, New York, for example, has asked Google to blur potential terror targets (such as an amusement park, a beach, and parking lots) from its satellite imagery.[2]
In some cases, censorship of certain sites has been removed. When Google Maps was launched, images of the White House and United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. were blurred out; current versions of Google Maps and Google Earth show these sites uncensored, but with out-of-date imagery.[3]
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[edit] Countries in official contact with Google Maps
During talks with the Indian government, Google issued a statement saying "Google has been talking and will continue to talk to the Indian government about any security concerns it may have regarding Google Earth."[4]
The Australian government has decided that images of sensitive areas are not a risk, due to poor level of detail.[5] It was reported that in the lead-up to the APEC forum in Sydney held in September 2007 certain key locations in images of the city's central business district, where APEC leaders were meeting, might have been intentionally reduced in resolution; however, Google has indicated that the change was unrelated to APEC, while the NSW police said that they knew nothing about the change in Google's images.[6] As of December 2007[update], much of inner Sydney still remains blurred.
The government of Malaysia has stated that it will not ask Google to censor sensitive areas because that would identify the locations it deemed to be sensitive.[7]
[edit] List of map locations with missing or unclear data
[edit] Middle East
[edit] Iraq
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30°34′2″N 47°46′6″E / 30.56722°N 47.76833°E | Shatt al Arab Hotel, Basra[8] | Possibly censored due to security risks after Coalition Forces seized insurgent documents which used maps to plan attacks.[9] No longer censored. Babylon, listed as Babil, is blurred out. There is clear evidence of farming all around the city, yet the city itself is grayed out. [10] | [4] |
[edit] Pakistan
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27°51′0″N 65°10′0″E / 27.85°N 65.166667°E | Predator Air Base[11] | Unmanned Predators. Images from 2006 were removed. Images from 2007 have runway markings removed. | [5] |
[edit] East / South Asia
[edit] Tibet
Tibet/Xinjiang Province (full) of China (but Lhasa doesn't appear to be), Northern areas of Pakistan (areas include Mansehra (full), Abbottabad (partial), Balakot (full))
[edit] Japan
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24°17′21″N 153°58′41″E / 24.28917°N 153.97806°E | Minami Torishima Airport[12] | Easternmost territory in Japan. Runway oversaturated in white. Runway markings invisible. | [6] |
[edit] Taiwan
Rounded irregular areas overlayed with older imagery, etc.
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24°12′22″N 120°36′26″E / 24.206117°N 120.607181°E | Taichung | Older imagery of Cruise missile base overlays newer science park | [7] |
| 25°02′42″N 121°36′12″E / 25.044976°N 121.60346°E | Nangang military reservation | Oval overlay | [8] |
| 24°12′26″N 120°48′01″E / 24.207203°N 120.800278°E | Xinshe military reservations | Two military reservations, cut and pasted | [9] |
| 24°09′04″N 120°44′11″E / 24.15111°N 120.736259°E | Taiping military reservations | Military reservations, cut and pasted | [10] |
| 24°11′11″N 120°39′03″E / 24.18626°N 120.65074°E | Shuinan Airport (RCLG) | Airport, cut and pasted. (Note also traces of circular road to the west, that some have speculated to be traces of a furtive nuclear experiment.) | [11] |
| 25°03′25″N 121°14′33″E / 25.056911°N 121.242542°E | Taoyuan Military Airport (RCGM) | Ends of runway whited-out. Compare with civilian airport to the north. | [12] |
| 25°02′50″N 121°35′29″E / 25.047352°N 121.591471°E | Military headquarters building in Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan | Pixelization | [13] |
The above are but a few examples. Pixelization also occurs for bases like zh:成功嶺.
[edit] Europe
[edit] France
Ile du Ramier, Toulouse (Link), the location of the National Organization for Powder and Explosives (preparation of Phosgene for the aerospace industry and other form of explosive gas including Sulfur Mustard). The AZF chemical factory is pixelated, but Google Maps feature links to a detailed photo of the factory.
[edit] Germany
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50°57′38″N 6°2′32″E / 50.96056°N 6.04222°E | NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen | [14] | |
| 49°26′28″N 7°35′32″E / 49.44111°N 7.59222°E | Ramstein Air Base | [15] |
[edit] The Netherlands
[edit] Russia
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66°16′0″N 179°15′0″E / 66.266667°N 179.25°E | Possibly a Russian ICBM Complex, near town Egvekinot, Russia [36] | also appears to have been modified on www.mcfly.org. Bing Maps displays a duplicate spliced image of an area to the southeast.
Russianairbases refer to this blurred place as Zaliv Kresta (US). Russianairbases also claim there is a runway here of length 1.35km facing almost north-south, long enough for propellor planes and/or learjerts to land on. Officially the base is a "private civilian airstrip". Why does an American civilian airstrip on Russian soil warrant thorough censorship? Current state of development of the base is unknown. This is very odd seeing as other ICBM complexes within Russia are NOT blurred, it is possible this base is a CIA extraordinary rendition learjet logistics/refuelling base. Whoever has airbrushed this map has gone to extraordinary lengths to do so! |
[37] |
| 56°6′30″N 36°49′46″E / 56.10833°N 36.82944°E | Millergof | A private palace of the Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller[14]. The aerial photos are available on Panoramio and Terraserver, while being censored in Yahoo Maps, Yandex Maps and Wikimapia (replaced by older imagery[15]). | [38] |
[edit] Spain
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41°21′47″N 2°09′52″E / 41.363072638666786°N 2.164306640625°E | Castell de Montjuïc | No longer censored. | [39] |
| 37°39′29″N 1°00′44″W / 37.658157°N 1.012094°W | Helipuerto | [40] |
[edit] Portugal
| Coordinates | Object | Comment | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38°45′40″N 27°05′01″W / 38.761178°N 27.08353°W | Lajes Field | Portuguese Air Force Air Base nº 4. SAR base housing Aerospatiale SA330 Puma and C212 Aviocar aircraft for this purpose. The US Air Force 65th ABW is a detachment colocated here to support transient aircraft to the Middle East, Southwest Asia and Africa. Civilian terminal on west side of field approved for commercial traffic, refuelling and stopover operations. | [41] |
| 38°40′46″N 9°19′19″W / 38.679429°N 9.321814°W | NATO Base Joint Command - Atlantic | NATO Headquarters in Oeiras near Lisbon | [42] |
| 38°39′52″N 9°08′53″W / 38.664452°N 9.148028°W | Base Naval do Alfeite | Portuguese Navy Base, near Lisbon. Partial digital censorship. | [43] |
| 38°42′29″N 9°02′03″W / 38.708170°N 9.03416°W | Montijo Air Base | Used by Portuguese Air Force mainly for SAR and Transport purposes. AW101, C130 and C295 Base.See more info under Força Aérea Portuguesa | [44] |
| 38°33′05″N 9°06′08″W / 38.55139°N 9.10211°W | Nato Fernão Ferro | Former Nato ammunition depot | [45] |
| 38°33′36″N 9°10′59″W / 38.5601°N 9.18314°W | Armada Fonte da Telha | Navy Communications Center - Partially visible - Google's error ? | [46] |
| 38°42′15″N 9°12′24″W / 38.7042°N 9.20677°W | Ministério da Defesa | Defense Ministry Offices Lisbon | [47] |
[edit] North America
[edit] United States
[edit] References
- ^ Google Earth agrees to blur pix of key Indian sites
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Google's View of D.C. Melds New and Sharp, Old and Fuzzy". Washington Post. 2007-07-22. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/21/AR2007072101296.html.
- ^ Google Earth prompts Indian fears
- ^ Lucas Heights image stays on Google
- ^ Moses, Asher (August 13, 2007), "Google's photos of Sydney go all fuzzy", Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/aerial-images-of-cbd-fuzzed-out-before-apec/2007/08/13/1186857396182.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1, retrieved 2007-08-13
- ^ Parliament In Brief: ‘No need to blur images’
- ^ Did Google censor Basra imagery?
- ^ Terrorists 'use Google maps to hit UK troops
- ^ http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=babylon,+iraq&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.671324,56.25&ie=UTF8&ll=32.469943,44.550161&spn=0.036062,0.054932&t=h&z=14&iwloc=addr
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ http://www.ad.nl/utrecht/zuid/article718727.ece
- ^ http://www.compromat.ru/page_27845.htm
- ^ http://englishrussia.com/?p=6168#more-6168
- ^ Bryan Farrell: Penn State's Frightening Defense
[edit] External links
- Map of Blurred Places
- Verboden plekken in Nederland A list in Dutch of 54 blurred locations in the Netherlands under the heading "Onherkenbaar"
