Security Concerns Expressed Over "Google Earth"

Google Earth, a 3D graphics application which provides images of the earth derived from aerial and satellite photography, has again stirred controversy. Satellite photos of Israeli Defence Forces bases are now available simply through a few clicks on Google Earth. Arguably, this information could be used by terrorist groups and this possibility has Israeli security officials seriously concerned. Google Earth was developed by Keyhole Inc, a company Google acquired in 2004. The product was named Google Earth in 2005 and is currently available as a free download for use on most personal computers. When Google Earth was first released, it sparked strong concerns from many world leaders. For example, Dr Abdul Kalam, President of India, last year expressed his fears about Google Earth providing images of security sensitive areas. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, through its Executive Director, Ian Smith, contacted Google and inquired if Google would remove or make blurry images of a nuclear reactor, amid concerns that terrorists could use the images to plan an attack. He has since changed his stance and has opted not to pursue the matter further. The government of South Korea expressed concern that Google Earth's images of the presidential mansion and sensitive military facilities could pose a security threat to the country which, technically, is still at war with North Korea. Many security experts, however, have downplayed the widespread concerns regarding Google Earth, noting that some of the images are substantially outdated and that some are sufficiently indefinite in outline that they could not be used to pinpoint buildings and installations. By comparison, leading edge technology allows pilot-less aircrafts or Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) with high-resolution cameras to fly over countries undetected while giving real-time images. News story links can be found here: for Ynet.com, at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3261490,00.html; and for Wikipedia, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Earth Summary by: Oren Weichenberg