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08.11.05
Google Earth Continues To Raise Security Concerns
 By
Jason Miller
Voice your concerns or support for Google Earth at WebProWorld.
A concerned soldier stationed in Iraq demonstrated for the camera how easy it
was to get detailed imagery of static military bases. With mouse in hand showing
how an enemy could, with little effort, determine distances, latitude and longitude,
where certain types of weaponry and military vehicles were located.
He asserted that an especially tech-savvy enemy could use the information to program
coordinates into guided missiles and hit targets with pinpoint accuracy. Admittedly,
like the two-year-old imagery of the Australian nuclear reactor, the aerial photos
of the base were a year old. But the soldier said that didn't matter as the base
is unchanged since the satellite photo was taken.
And he's right, it certainly wasn't difficult to find Camp
Anaconda. It will be interesting to see how security-sensitive photos are
handled by Google and imagery suppliers.
Aerial photos of the White House and surrounding buildings are already censored,
and one might imagine that sensitive military establishments will be soon as well.
Regarding the Australian nuclear plant, a Google spokeswoman said the images were
to old reveal any sensitive information.
"The same information is available to anyone who flies over or drives by a piece
of property," she said.
But of course, Iraq is a war-zone with restricted air space. So this may be a
different matter altogether.
About the Author:
David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. |
