Google Earth has been the recipient of a mixed bag of praise and joy from users, but also loud antagonism from (hear this) governments. (Link)

Since its inception (based on a product from a company Google purchased), the controversial app has been loved and lauded by users.

But it has also captured the enmity of government officials who purport that its Maps and Earth programs make images of delicate places freely available and very easily accessible.

Anybody with an Internet connection could see detailed maps, satellite images, or a hybrid of different locations around the world, some of which happen to be clearer than the others.

The company has already removed or blanked out certain areas deemed to be susceptible to attack, such as the White House, after US officials cried foul on the satellite images.

Google has taken many criticisms after its maps application is said to show possibly sensitive locations such as military bases, reactors, airports and other buildings are available over the Internet. Bases in South Korea, Saudi jet fighters of unmistakably American manufacture, American power plants, Iraqi installations, military bases, locations in the Netherlands, Thailand, and other such fascinating spots are among the many choice locations that the likes of terrorists could use for their terror campaigns.

The Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is the latest government official to join the fray, who said during a speech to the country’s top police training school, the Vallabhabhai Patel National Police Academy at Hyderabad, that Google Earth’s program poses a security risk. During a speech, he also warned of the emerging “open source intelligence” factor that may be used by various types of offenders, not the least of which are people who are part of a terrorist movement.

Others have expressed how this is part of the inevitable and unavoidable march towards progress, and Google isn’t the only one providing such unprecedented access to such imagery, but just happens to be the most popular.

For example, the American company DigitalGlobe provides images that are even of much higher resolution and better quality than that of GoogleEarth, and making them available to a growing number of customers around the world, empowering companies and other organizations with access to imaging capabilities that used be unavailable to the public at large before and only to very few and large governments.

The commercial applications include research, agricultural applications, mineral exploration, defense, emergency and disaster relief, mapping and other such functions.

But as with many other forms of new technology, it also provides the power to do great harm if placed in the hands (or access) of the wrong people.

With such technology easily available, even with tight controls there is no guarantee that unlawful, criminal or terrorist use will not ensue.

Which begs the recursive question: would terrorists try using this even if they had no plans to do so, now that everyone's talking about it and giving them ideas?

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