Google Earth: Not the only eye in the sky

President Abdul Kalam’s concern notwithstanding, Google Earth is offering data that is already available from a wide range of sources, and is no different from the other imaging and mapping services

By Ravi Visvesvaraya Prasad

It is surprising that a defence technologist of the calibre of President A P J Abdul Kalam could label Google Earth as a threat to the security of India, and call for restrictions on access to satellite photographs of India's defence and nuclear installations.

While addressing the National Police Academy at Hyderabad, President Kalam asserted that the high-resolution photographs of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, Army Headquarters, and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, available for free at http://earth.google.com, could be used by terrorists. Kalam added: "Developing countries, which are already in danger of terrorist attacks, have been singularly chosen for providing high-resolution images of their sites…Existing laws in some countries regarding spatial observations of their territory and the United Nations' recommendations on the practice are inadequate…" The President called for "New laws to restrain dissemination of such material." Since then, many newspapers have carried photographs of sensitive buildings available for free at Google Earth's Website.

While high-resolution satellite images of most parts of the world, including sensitive military and nuclear facilities of many countries, have been commercially available for years from satellites such as LandSat7 and QuickBird, the controversy erupted when Google Earth was launched in June 2005. This provides high-resolution photographs, which were taken sometime over the past three years, both from low-flying aircraft as well as from various satellites. While the basic service of Google Earth is free, there are two paid options for advanced services.

The South Korean government was the first to assail Google Earth as a security threat, stating that it showed high-resolution images of the presidential Blue House in Seoul as well as military bases all over Korea. The government of Thailand also joined the fray, stating that its bases had been photographed in great detail. But it was President Kalam's statements that focussed international attention on the issue.

Responding to President Kalam, Google stated: "We take governmental concerns about Google Earth and Google Maps very seriously. We will be happy to talk to Indian authorities about any concerns they may have….It is important to know that Google Earth is built from information that is already available from a wide range of both commercial and public sources, and is no different from the many other Internet-based imaging and mapping services that have been available for years. The same information is available to anyone who flies above or drives by a piece of property….Over the past few months alone, Google's freely available technology has been used for vital purposes ranging from fighting forest fires to emergency response, rescue, and relief in natural disasters, such as tsunamis and hurricanes…"

What can the Indian government do to prevent terrorists or hostile forces from viewing high-resolution photographs of its sensitive installations? The answer, in practical terms, is, "Absolutely nothing at all." First, there is no practical, feasible method to prevent satellites from photographing sensitive Indian sites. The only solution is to camouflage them appropriately, or keep them subterranean or underwater.

Second, the President's call for limiting access to http://earth.google.com is also infeasible, since potential terrorists can access this Website, or similar Websites such as MSN TerraServer, from other countries. Third, in addition to Google Earth, there are several other sources from where images of far higher resolutions can be obtained. DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite images have a high-resolution of 60 centimetres (two feet). The Landsat-7 satellite offers 1.4-metre resolutions of almost any location in the world for just $ 1 per 32 sq km. Google's rival, Microsoft, offers services such as MSN Virtual Earth, TerraServer, and TerraFly, similar to Google Earth.

The President's assertion that "developing countries, which are already in danger of terrorist attacks, have been singularly chosen for providing high-resolution images of their sensitive sites" is also not entirely true. Millions of very high-resolution photographs of US and NATO defence and nuclear installations are available for free at Google Earth. Whereas the President asserted, "Every tree in Rashtrapati Bhavan could be clearly identified," other photographs show in far greater detail the White House; the headquarters of the US' National Security Agency at Fort Meade, US chemical weapons depots, US nuclear missile sites, and US and NATO defence bases all over the world.

Moreover, India's defence forces state: "We have long ago factored into our plans the threat of satellite imagery of our military bases available freely on the Internet. Further, we can also access high-resolution photographs of terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as well as of Kahuta and Sargodha." An Indian Air Force officer says: "Frontline IAF bases have adequate protection systems in place." An Indian Navy officer says: "Satellite images of INS Viraat berthed at Mumbai do not make any difference, as ships are mobile platforms — here today, gone tomorrow."

The Indian government should, instead, focus on utilising the high-resolution photographs for positive purposes such as meteorology, hurricane and cyclone forecasting, emergency and disaster relief, irrigation planning, mineral, oil and gas exploration, monitoring soil erosion and use of river waters, urban planning, etc. For example, high-resolution photographs of the Asian tsunami from DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite show how governments and aid agencies could use such technology positively and remarkably.

Indian civil society is already using data from Google Earth for positive purposes. Former Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya says: "For me, Google Earth made possible the study of the Mithi river, which was responsible for the deaths of more than 600 people during the devastating rain and floods in Mumbai last July…I could prove to society and the government that unplanned development and encroachment along the riverbanks were the root cause of the disaster…It is a fact that no governmental agency has a map of the course of the Mithi river at all. For, in all official records, this river does not even exist…"