Google Urged to Drop Images

Nqdiddles writes "News.com.au is reporting that the head of Australia's nuclear energy agency has called on Google to censor images of the country's only nuclear reactor. While Dr. Smith admits the image is about two years out of date, he also says he doesn't 'want to provide any easy assistance to anyone who wants to interfere with the site.' Citing the precedent of the blocks of colour over the White House and Treasury buildings, he's critical of their own security, adding 'there's a small area near the middle of the site which is quite secure, but the bulk of our site isn't all that secure' and is easily visible from the road and commercial airline flights. Google has defended the technology, noting the images were six to 18 months old and not detailed enough to zoom in on people."

Comments

They better get used to it

[TheMeuge]

I think the world should get used to the fact that restricting the flow of information is going to be more difficult with every passing year. This isn't strategically-important data. If Google was transmitting a real-time high-resolution image, maybe I would agree with the AU gov't, but censoring 2-year-old satellite photos is simply unnecessary. Actually, we should rejoice that this information is available publicly, because in an age where governments can use information to attack the rights of their citizens, it is somewhat comforting to know that their secrets may not be safe from public scrutiny.

Re:Google Tool of Terror!!!

[ZephyrXero]

C'mon...if someone wanted to know where their one and only power plant was and Google sensored it, I'm quite sure they'd find it through some other means...lol. In the "information age" as they used to call it, secrets and closed policies just aren't feasable anymore.

Headlines should summarize stories, not obfuscate

[mat catastrophe]

So, at first I thought that someone wanted Google to shut down its images service. Then, I read a little bit of the story and thought that Google was being asked to remove images of Australia's reactor. Then, I finally figured out that they were only being asked to censor those images. Now, I have a headache.

Hypocritical?

[SlashEdsDoYourJobs]

While Dr. Smith admits the image is about two years out of date, he also says he doesn't 'want to provide any easy assistance to anyone who wants to interfere with the site.' Citing the precedent of the blocks of colour over the White House and Treasury buildings, he's critical of their own security, adding 'there's a small area near the middle of the site which is quite secure, but the bulk of our site isn't all that secure' and is easily visible from the road and commercial airline flights.

If he doesn't want to "provide any easy assistance to anyone who wants to interfere with the site", then why is he publically pointing out the weak spots of their security?

Re:Google Tool of Terror!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Furthermore, does anyone find the quotes from Dr. Smith slightly... unreasoned?

"There's a small area near the middle of the site which is quite secure, but the bulk of our site isn't all that secure," he said.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but if he's trying to censor information about the site's security so as to keep that information from potential attackers, wouldn't he be better to avoid volunteering comments like that? Isn't that single comment even more valuable to attackers than the picture itself?

I imagine a slightly mad scientist... "Now that I have destroyed the aerial photograph, you will never make it past the two guards at the East entrance and the video camera at the North entrance! Muahhahah, and good luck finding the secret entrance under the tall hedges!"