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D.C. were blurred out; current versions of Google Maps and Google Earth show these sites uncensored, but with out-of-date imagery.[3]
[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]
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] Pakistan
[edit] East / South Asia
[edit] North Korea
Google Maps shows nothing in North Korea apart from a single marker for Pyongyang, though when looking at satellite images, North Korea is shown fine. In contrast, OpenStreetMap has substantial coverage of North Korea.
Tibet (excluding Lhasa, Northern areas of Pakistan (Mansehra, Abbottabad (partial) and Balakot)
[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 / 24.206117; 120.607181 (northwestern Taichung (Taizhong) Taiwan) |
Taichung |
Older imagery of Cruise missile base overlays newer science park |
[4] |
| 25°02′42″N 121°36′12″E / 25.044976°N 121.60346°E / 25.044976; 121.60346 (Nangang, Taipei (Taibei) Taiwan) |
Nangang military reservation |
Oval overlay |
[5] |
| 24°12′26″N 120°48′01″E / 24.207203°N 120.800278°E / 24.207203; 120.800278 (Xinshe, Taiwan) |
Xinshe military reservations |
Two military reservations, cut and pasted |
[6] |
| 24°09′04″N 120°44′11″E / 24.15111°N 120.736259°E / 24.15111; 120.736259 (Taiping, Taiwan) |
Taiping military reservations |
Military reservations, cut and pasted |
[7] |
| 24°11′11″N 120°39′03″E / 24.18626°N 120.65074°E / 24.18626; 120.65074 (Shuinan, Taichung (Taizhong), Taiwan) |
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.) |
[8] |
| 25°06′27″N 121°32′09″E / 25.107496°N 121.535756°E / 25.107496; 121.535756 (National Security Bereau Headquarters) |
National Security Bereau Headquarters |
Pixelization |
[9] |
| 25°02′50″N 121°35′29″E / 25.047352°N 121.591471°E / 25.047352; 121.591471 (Military headquarters, Taiwan) |
Military headquarters building in Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan |
Pixelization |
[10] |
The above are but a few examples. Pixelization also occurs for bases like zh:成功嶺.
[edit] Central Asia
[edit] Turkmenistan
[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. Reims – Champagne Air Base.
A number of French military installations are pixelated, including the naval bases at Toulon and Brest. HWU transmitter is shown in worse resolution.
[edit] Germany
[edit] Hungary
[edit] Ireland
[edit] The Netherlands
[edit] Russia
[edit] Slovakia
[edit] Sweden
[edit] Portugal
[edit] North America
[edit] United States
| Coordinates |
Object |
Comment |
Link |
| 40°11′22.16″N 112°55′33.70″W / 40.1894889°N 112.926028°W / 40.1894889; -112.926028 (Michael Aaf (Dougway Proving Ground)) |
Michael Aaf (Dugway Proving Ground) |
Building blacked out, areas clearly retouched. |
| 37°58′47.19″N 84°25′7.97″W / 37.979775°N 84.4188806°W / 37.979775; -84.4188806 (Home of William Hurt) |
Two houses blurred by missing data. Falsely reported as the home of actor William Hurt. |
Visible on Bing Maps and Google Street View |
[79] |
| 38°53′51.61″N 77°02′11.58″W / 38.8976694°N 77.03655°W / 38.8976694; -77.03655 (White House and environs)T |
The White House and environs. |
Superimposed low resolution imagery from an earlier date in Google. Bing also has a highly pixelated and digitally modified image. |
[80] |
| 38°53′22.99″N 77°0′01″W / 38.8897194°N 77.00028°W / 38.8897194; -77.00028 (U.S. Capitol and environs)T |
The United States Capitol and environs. |
Superimposed low resolution imagery from an earlier date in Google. |
[81] |
| 38°55′16.64″N 77°04′01″W / 38.9212889°N 77.06694°W / 38.9212889; -77.06694 (Naval Observatory/Residence of Vice President Dick Cheney) |
Number One Observatory Circle, official residence of the Vice President of the United States |
Superimposed low resolution imagery from an earlier date in Google. |
[82] |
| 39°27′24.7″N 76°09′13.7″W / 39.456861°N 76.153806°W / 39.456861; -76.153806 (Aberdeen Proving Ground) |
Aberdeen Proving Ground |
Lower resolution than surrounding areas, with irregular boundaries. |
[83] |
| 39°29′50.31″N 74°22′36.63″W / 39.4973083°N 74.3768417°W / 39.4973083; -74.3768417 (Section of Great Bay) |
Section of Great Bay, near New Jersey. |
Visible on Bing Maps and Map24 - Visible on Google Earth as of February 2008[update]. |
[84] |
| 40°52′4.20″N 72°52′25.28″W / 40.867833°N 72.8736889°W / 40.867833; -72.8736889 (Brookhaven National Laboratory) |
Brookhaven National Laboratory - Upton, New York |
Blurred on Google maps |
[85] |
| 40°54′58.42″N 73°07′24.98″W / 40.9162278°N 73.1236056°W / 40.9162278; -73.1236056 (Stony Brook University) |
Stony Brook University |
Visible on Bing Maps on both aerial and bird's eye view with high resolution. Blurred on Google. |
[86] |
| 41°10′43.30″N 72°12′23.99″W / 41.178694°N 72.2066639°W / 41.178694; -72.2066639 (Plum Island Animal Disease Center) |
Plum Island Animal Disease Center |
Blurred on Google. |
[87] |
| 40°57′39.86″N 72°51′52.83″W / 40.9610722°N 72.864675°W / 40.9610722; -72.864675 (Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant) |
Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, Wading River, New York |
Decommissioned |
[88] |
| 41°21′22.48″N 74°03′13.63″W / 41.3562444°N 74.0537861°W / 41.3562444; -74.0537861 (Camp Buckner Summer Installation) |
United States Military Academy Camp Buckner Summer Installation |
Heavily blurred |
[89] |
| 41°45′08.33″N 70°32′16.49″W / 41.7523139°N 70.5379139°W / 41.7523139; -70.5379139 (Cape Cod Radar) |
Cape Cod Air Force Station - PAVE PAWS radar, Massachusetts |
Very low resolution |
[90] |
| 41°56′39.53″N 70°34′40.09″W / 41.9443139°N 70.5778028°W / 41.9443139; -70.5778028 (Pilgrim Nuclear Station) |
Pilgrim Nuclear Generating Station, Plymouth, Massachusetts |
Pixelated |
[91] |
| 42°06′53.032″N 76°49′44.638″W / 42.11473111°N 76.82906611°W / 42.11473111; -76.82906611 (Elmira Correctional Facility) |
Elmira Correctional Facility (maximum security prison), Elmira, New York |
|
[92] |
| 42°23′24.69″N 71°03′34.84″W / 42.3901917°N 71.0596778°W / 42.3901917; -71.0596778 (Industrial port area) |
Chelsea, Massachusetts - Large portion of an industrial port area in Boston. |
Pixelated |
[93] |
| 42°49′29.24″N 73°52′11.88″W / 42.8247889°N 73.8699667°W / 42.8247889; -73.8699667 (Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory) |
Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and General Electric World Research Laboratories, Schenectady, New York |
Available in high resolution at Bing Maps; dam on Mohawk River slightly downstream also blurred in Google Maps. |
[94] |
| 42°53′54.07″N 70°51′08.14″W / 42.8983528°N 70.8522611°W / 42.8983528; -70.8522611 (Seabrook Nuclear Power Station) |
Seabrook Nuclear Power Station - Seabrook, New Hampshire |
|
[95] |
| 42°56′4.69″N 78°43′59.98″W / 42.9346361°N 78.7333278°W / 42.9346361; -78.7333278 (Buffalo Niagara International Airport) |
Buffalo Niagara International Airport - Erie County, New York |
Blurred on Google maps |
[96] |
|
| 43°06′49.45″N 76°06′41.05″W / 43.1137361°N 76.1114028°W / 43.1137361; -76.1114028 (Syracuse Hancock International Airport) |
Syracuse Hancock International Airport - Syracuse, New York |
|
[97] |
| 34°47′38.52″N 82°53′44.69″W / 34.7940333°N 82.8957472°W / 34.7940333; -82.8957472 (Oconee Nuclear Station) |
Oconee Nuclear Station, Oconee County, South Carolina |
|
[98] |
| 43°08′32″N 79°02′21″W / 43.14222°N 79.03917°W / 43.14222; -79.03917 (Niagara Falls dams) |
Hydroelectric dams and supporting waterways near Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario |
|
[99] |
| 43°7′8.5″N 77°40′43.49″W / 43.119028°N 77.6787472°W / 43.119028; -77.6787472 (Greater Rochester International Airport) |
Greater Rochester International Airport - Rochester, New York |
Blurred on Google maps |
[100] |
|
General Electric Main Plant - Schenectady, New York |
Lat/Long "42.80977, -73.95776" |
[101] |
| 42°9′36″N 76°53′30″W / 42.16°N 76.89167°W / 42.16; -76.89167 (Elmira-Corning Regional Airport) |
Elmira-Corning Regional Airport, Big Flats, New York |
Facility blurred and retouched in Google, but not Bing Maps |
[102] |
| 42°26′32.69″N 76°28′26.04″W / 42.4424139°N 76.4739°W / 42.4424139; -76.4739 (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY) |
Cornell University Combined Heat and Power Plant in Ithaca, New York |
Facility blurred in Google, but not Bing Maps |
[103] |
| 42°51′46.71″N 78°49′48.83″W / 42.862975°N 78.8302306°W / 42.862975; -78.8302306 (Buffalo, NY) |
Mobil Oil Corporation blurred near Buffalo River in Buffalo, New York |
|
[104] |
| 42°43′06″N 73°42′31″W / 42.71833°N 73.70861°W / 42.71833; -73.70861 (Watervliet Arsenal) |
Watervliet Arsenal/Benet Laboratories in Watervliet, New York |
|
[105] |
| 34°48′00″N 82°53′12″W / 34.8°N 82.88667°W / 34.8; -82.88667 (Keowee Dam) |
Keowee Dam on Lake Keowee, South Carolina |
Facility blurred on Google Maps. |
[106] |
| 34°57′36″N 82°55′10″W / 34.96°N 82.91944°W / 34.96; -82.91944 (Lake Jocassee Hydro Station) |
Dam and hydroelectric facility on Lake Jocassee, South Carolina |
Facility blurred on Google Maps. |
[107] |
| 40°55′22.1″N 73°20′34″W / 40.922806°N 73.34278°W / 40.922806; -73.34278 (Northport Power Station) |
Natural gas and conventional oil electric power generating station. |
Facility blurred on Google Maps. |
[108] |
| 42.491176, -79.346942 |
Niagara Mohawk (NRG) Powerplant; Dunkirk, New York |
Blurred out facility, and surrounding area. |
[109] |
| 36.202659,-120.103569 |
Lemoore Naval Air Station; Lemoore, California |
Pixelated as well as surrounding area on both Google, Bing Maps, and MapQuest. |
[110] |
| 41°46′34.14″N 70°32′36.1278″W / 41.77615°N 70.543368833°W / 41.77615; -70.543368833 (Sagamore Bridge) |
Sagamore Bridge, Sagamore, Massachusetts |
Pixelated on Bing Maps. |
[111] |
[edit] South America
[edit] References
[edit] External links