Google Maps has opened up the world to Web surfers, but not everyone is happy about the democratization of maps and satellite images of the entire world being only a click away. The US Department of Defense issued a warning to Google last week that street-view images of terrain and territory are not allowed on military installations and bases.
Google claims to be on a mission to organize information and resources and make them accessible to anyone worldwide, but the U. S. military takes exception to this noble cause when it comes to maintaining the security of its bases and other sites.
Google recently presented street view images showing a detailed layout of Fort Sam Houston located in San Antonio, Texas. The Department of Defense reacted quickly, issuing an official communiqué to Google informing them that they were violating United States law — the military’s version of a “cease and desist” letter.
A Google spokesperson said it was not the company’s policy to request access to private military installations or other sensitive facilities. Google emphasized that the policy of Google Maps is to stay on public roads, but that a driver working for the company had inadvertently violated that policy by venturing onto Fort Sam Houston.
Google has since removed the street-view pictures of the base, though satellite and map views continue to be available on Google Maps. Contradicting Google’s official line, a spokesperson for NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said that that Google requested access to Fort Sam Houston. The Pentagon then issued a directive on February 28 requiring Google to remove any images from their database depicting US military sites. Lt. Commander Gerry Ross of NORAD said, “it has operational risks for force protection and the safety of personnel.”
Ross also pointed out that Google is not the only company who must adhere to the military’s “no images” directive. Other companies, particularly online mapping and information gathering services, must refrain from including sensitive installations and military bases on their web sites.
The US military is just one of many organizations concerned about Google Maps and Google Earth, the company’s worldwide satellite imaging service. The New York Times is reporting that the government’s of Russia, South Korea and India are among those that have expressed reservations about Google’s satellite image categorization of the planet.
Particularly, governments are concerned that the satellite images might reveal sensitive details about military bases, increasing the likelihood of terrorism. Google claims they have a very simple procedure to process official request to remove images, though many governments would like to see tighter self-regulation on Google’s part, to avoid making sensitive information available in the first place.
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