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 Smith admits the image is about two years out of date, he also says he doesn't 'want to provide any easy assistance to anyone who wants to interfere with the site.'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

Google Tool of Terror!!!

[DigitalDwarf]

Wow, this is right up there with Sadam using CNN to get info on our movements in the Gulf wars.

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!"

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 Smith admits the image is about two years out of date, he also says he doesn't 'want to provide any easy assistance to anyone who wants to interfere with the site.'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?

Hypocrites

[tbo]

If Google is willing to cooperate with China on their "Great Firewall"--an attempt to suppress democracy-related information and control the Chinese people--they can hardly object to this. Google has already demonstrated its willingness to cooperate with totalitarian governments in suppressing peaceful, pro-democracy information. Hard to see how they can draw a line now. If anything, Google's "Don't be evil" motto requires them to actively try to subvert Chinese censorship.

Australia is making a reasonable request that Google voluntarily censor a very small number of images of a nuclear reactor--images that could clearly be used for violent and dangerous terrorist activity. Aside from satisfying idle curiosity, there aren't many important, legitimate uses for those images.

Since Google has long since slid down the slippery slope, why stop now?

Re:More details

[dodald]

Not to mention that they also have Aerial photos on the site too.

http://www.ansto.gov.au/info/00images.html

Um, but we WANT an attack.

[Anonymous Coward]

We Australians feel left out. Every time there is a "terror" scare in, say, the US or UK, our forces switch to Super-Ultra-Crazy-High-Look-At-Us-We're-Targets-To o-No-Really-We-Are alert.

The boys get to play in our Blackhawk helicopters over Sydney and Melbourne, sliding down ropes with slung MP5s, wearing their best Matrix gear, and impressing the hell out of the news chicks.

It's all part of the great Australian national inferiority complex: we're ashamed of our "Convict Heritage" while desperately trying to convince the rest of the world that we're a 'significant first-world player', and not some minor nation hidden away downunder.

Really, the lack of terrorist attacks on Australia is so embarrassing to us that we now actually have to point out the insecure targets to the terrorists.