Google Site A Worry

[Turbochrgdwitch]

Google site a worry
By Associated Press
Monday, October 17, 2005

HYDERABAD, India – Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam expressed concern Saturday about a free mapping program from Google Inc., warning it could help terrorists by showing satellite photos of potential targets.

Google Earth, an Internet site launched in June this year, allows users to access overlapping satellite photos. Although not all areas are highly detailed, some images are very high resolution, and some show sensitive locations in various countries.

At a meeting of top police officials in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, Kalam said he worried that ``developing countries, which are already in danger of terrorist attacks, have been singularly chosen'' for providing high resolution images of their sites.



The governments of South Korea and Thailand and lawmakers in the Netherlands have expressed similar concerns.

South Korean newspapers said Google Earth provides images of the presidential Blue House and military bases in the country, which remains technically at war with communist North Korea. The North's main nuclear facility at Yongbyon is among sites in that country displayed on the service.

The Google site contains clear aerial photos of India's parliament building, the president's house and surrounding government offices in New Delhi. There are also some clear shots of Indian defense establishments.

Debbie Frost, spokewoman for Mountain View, Calif.-based Google, said the software uses information already available from public sources and the images displayed are about one to two years old, not shown in real time.

``Google takes governmental concerns about Google Earth and Google Maps very seriously. Google welcomes dialogue with governments, and we will be happy to talk to Indian authorities about any concerns they may have,'' Frost said in an e-mail statement Saturday.

[scotto]

Actually this program has been around for some time now under the name KeyHole. Recently KeyHole was bought out by Google. I have been a subscriber to this program for over a year now. This program is absolutely amazing and I can see where it can be a security concern.
-scotto

[Turbochrgdwitch]

Yeah, I have used Google Earth many times and it did not even cross my mind that it is a security risk.

[DocDiggs]

A commentary of our times in this world.

I have included a couple e-mail exchanges re this between Snowden and myself at the bottom.
In the second e-mail I am blue


Google satellite photos worry India leader

President says free mapping program could help terrorists
By OMER FAROOQ
Updated: 4:32 p.m. ET Oct. 16, 2005

HYDERABAD, India - Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam expressed concern Saturday about a free mapping program from Google Inc., warning it could help terrorists by providing satellite photos of potential targets.

Google Earth, an Internet site launched in June this year, allows users to access overlapping satellite photos. Although not all areas are highly detailed, some images are very high resolution, and some show sensitive locations in various countries.

At a meeting of top police officials in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, Kalam said he worried that "developing countries, which are already in danger of terrorist attacks, have been singularly chosen" for providing high resolution images of their sites.

The governments of South Korea and Thailand and lawmakers in the Netherlands have expressed similar concerns.

South Korean newspapers said Google Earth provides images of the presidential Blue House and military bases in the country, which remains technically at war with communist North Korea. The North's main nuclear facility at Yongbyon is among sites in that country displayed on the service.
The Google site contains clear aerial photos of India's parliament building, the president's house and surrounding government offices in New Delhi. There are also some clear shots of Indian defense establishments.

Officials at Mountain View, Calif.-based Google did not immediately return a phone call and e-mail seeking comment.

Responding in August to the concerns of two Dutch lawmakers, Google spokeswoman Catherine Betts noted the software uses information already available from public sources and said its benefits "far outweigh any negatives from potential abuse."

Kalam, a scientist who guided India's missile program before becaming president, called for new laws to restrain dissemination of such material. He said existing laws in some countries regarding spatial observations of their territory and the United Nations' recommendations on the practice are inadequate.




----- Original Message -----
Monday, October 17, 2005 3:40 PM
Subject:The cancer of fear



...as if all this stuff isn't available elsewhere to whomever wants it.

We have become a world overcome by fear...the precise goal of terrorism. In effect, they have already won.

The purpose of fear is a lot more than fear itself, though - especially with this lot. They want us to give in to them, religion, behavior, etc. - in all ways. Fear is only the first step, isn't it - then we do what they want. A very grim thought!

[True, but the tool is fear, pure naked fear. Uncontrolled, impotent fear is the most powerful tool out there in the conquest for any goal. In a sense, the religion, et al, is anti-climactic.]


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[Turbochrgdwitch]

Funny you and I think alike. Snowden just moved my thread on this same article to Chit-Chat.

[DocDiggs]

Originally Posted by Turbochrgdwitch

Funny you and I think alike. Snowden just moved my thread on this same article to Chit-Chat.

Guess we'll see wha' hoppens....

[Snowden]

Originally Posted by DocDiggs

Guess we'll see wha' hoppens....

Yeah, I reckon! So what happened is that I have merged the two threads, and they are here in chit-chat.

Doc, I agree with you - fear is the most potent weapon in the world. I believe it's the most terrible thing one can do; fear. Nothing leaves us more totally impotent.

A terrible weapon.