Bahrain's ISPs Must Block Google Earth

Bashar writes "A Bahraini newspaper reported today that Bahrain government, following the block of nude sites, have instructed all ISPs to block the Google Earth service, making them one of the few countries worldwide to block a major Google service that is used around the globe, and proving very effective. Here is the same news source, translated by Google to English."

Comments

Censor

[ShimmyShimmy]

What exactly is the problem with Google Earth? I mean, nude sites, as stupid as it is to block them, at least have some moral backing. Are they just trying to convince everyone that the world is flat or something?

Re:Censor

[MindStalker]

Bahrain is a little island between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It could be a military issue, they don't want their civilians being able to access satallite maps.

Re:Censor

[Pulse_Instance]

apparently the world is flat and repeating...

Re:Censor

[StikyPad]

Because there's an imminent threat of attack from its own citizens?

And blocking Google Earth will thwart them?!?!

Bahrain is pretty liberal as far as theocracies go.. I'm surprised they've chosen censorship at all, but blocking Google Earth is particularly batty.

They can relax; I know what they're worried about:

[The_REAL_DZA]

They're worried about someone using Google Earth to look right smack down on any nude beach in the world. They can relax; anyone who tried it would get massive headaches from the eyestrain because the resolution just isn't there. Not that I tried to do that or anything...

what's up with Bahrain?

[Anonymous Coward]

They block web porn and Google Earth, but tolerate Michael Jackson? Oh yeah, I fogot he was acquitted...

Bahrain Govt & People Don't Get Along

[cmholm]

Because there's an imminent threat of attack from its own citizens?

Not right at the moment, but I'd agree that blocking GE isn't going to slow them down. The Sheik and his family are Sunni, while the majority of Bahrainis are Shia. For years, the Shia perceived that they weren't getting a fair shake from the sheik, and the revolution in Iran didn't help. The opposition has been coopted to some degree by the introduction of a two house Parliment and regular elections (The GE closing may be a result of conservative morality agenda w/in the lower house, which also led to blocked porn sites). However, this is offset to some degree by the Sheik's long standing policies to assist the US in the Gulf, which aren't popular with most citizens.