The head of a US intelligence agency told the Associated Press that commercial satellite services like Google Earth may need to be censored in the future in order to protect American interests. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who heads the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, spends his days helping the government map the planet and studying imagery. Once the exclusive domain of the government, commercial satellite imagery has attained high-enough resolutions that the government is thinking about ways to restrict its use in times of war or other emergency situations. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...wants-ability-to-censor-satellite-images.html I guess I can see their point.. I'm surprised this hasn't been done to a large degree already...
Yes they should be censored as these images are sometimes very detailed & a terrorists dream come true.
I totally agree here...i was curious one time...and I looked up a few key installations I know about, and you can make out a lot of things very easily that shouldn't be in the hands of a terrorist... i too am surprised the gov't hasn't already done more about this issue.
Censorship isn't an issue with which Americans are terribly comfortable. It's an issue of trade-offs: How many casualties are we willing to absorb in order to protect our freedom of speech? Freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment. It's first because it's most important to us -- to our culture.
Freedom of speech is abused a lot. A map of a nuclear facility should stay out of Free speech. People can have a say weather there can be a nuclear facility built or not in their area. But once it is done, general pubic don’t need the detailed map of that area.
I read that google maps is how those guys recently arrested were able to get photographs of Ft. Dix...I'm glad the govt. is doing this.
I'm glad their doing it. It's just common sense. Google map is occasionally pretty detailed and there is honestly just no reason to put this information out there.
How about: It's cool? What about: Dissemination of information? Freedom of press? Freedom of speech? What about: There is no reason not to? The world is a planet, it is really there, and it really exists. Taking photos of it and putting them on the web really shouldn't be a big issue. But now, in a special move... we have to control that process....to protect us from terrorists. THANK GOD. We almost got in danger then! Thank god the government can make us think we are being protected! Do you really think a planned bombing of a major structure RELIES on Google maps? C'MON! Do you think they would have had any trouble finding the world trade center without Google Maps? Yes, GMaps may make it easy to locate things, but if someone wanted to cause trouble, they would do it, even if it was a little more difficult to find information. We live in a global communication age. Information is out there, and 'covering up' pictures on a map, isn't going to stop that. This is a stupid idea, it achieves nothing, and it works only to once again limit the options/freedoms we have by removing something which harms no one from things we can do.
So we should let them see detailed maps of military sites. Freedom of speech does not give someone the right to yell fire in a crowded room. Is there any reason for the maps to be out there. In most places, it is illegal to photograph military bases. Classification of sensitive materials was always part of our government (Lincoln fought overzealous reporters during the Civil War). I obviously don't think that this will save the world, but it will prevent some idiot from easily and anonomously getting a map of a sensitive location. Tell me how leaving it available helps the world?
As soon as you tell me how push up bras, coca cola and Big Brother helps the world. Helping the world is not a pre-requisite for something to exist. But it is clear you don't understand my point, so forget it.
That is the dumbest argument I've heard. You are spouting the same idiotic Big Brother Conspiracy nonsense that's been said a thousand times. (BTW Aegist = AGS?) You are clearly stating the same 1984 (or Handmaid's Tale, whichever literature you wish to cite) in which the government taking any steps to moderate information is wrong. Don't insult my intelligence by stating that I don't understand your point. Push up bras- Allow women to match the media's high standard of beauty. Coca Cola- Provides millions with a tasty alternative to water and gives millions of people employment. Big Brother (The Show)- lets people feel better about their own lives by witnessing the antics of other people. Big Brother (1984 style)- Should allow protection of good citizens by preventing crime. Strong possiblities for abuse make it wrong though. There you go! And yes, helping the world is a pre-requisite for something to exist if it has a strong potential to harm the world. An accurate google map of a location won't help anyone. I personally feel violated that someone can get an accurate picture of my house, but I live with it. The government doing a no-brainer to protect interests isn't anything to be worried about. They've done it before, and what true freedom will it actually take away. Do you have a right to a map of a military base, in the true definition of the constitution? Complete and utter freedom of information only leads to anarchy.
Aegist are you really from Australia? If you are it amazes me how someone in Australia understands the liberty set forth in the Constitution better than most Americans do. When did we decide as a nation that giving up liberty for security was the American thing to do? We can lock ourselves away in a fvcking prison and have our protection from big government keep us damn safe for sure. It amazes me what is coming out of peoples mouthes these days.
Which freedom of they violating? Freedom of speech - No, this would be viewed as releasing state secrets (at least in the stuff that US intelligence would censor it) and that has already been classified as treason. Freedom of Press - Somewhat of a grey area. Argument still remains though that you can't take these types of picture and make them available to everyone. I'm honestly surprised that other foreign contries haven't done something about it. I guess the biggest question is why you are defending what is truly Big Brother and attacking someone who is trying to limit it?
Why are we being denied information when it is going to be used to kill others. Perhaps, you and I too
Or perhaps we are being denied information that the goverment dosnt want in public hands. Whats to say that they wont decide to censor satalite images of detention facilities or other things the public should be aware of. if a terrorist really wanted to get the info he could, with or without google maps. In principle I dont agree to censorship, where will it stop.