Posted on 04/02/2009 7:27:40 AM PDT by JoeProBono
SACRAMENTO — California has a new idea for thwarting terrorism: Attackers might not hit what they can't see.
Assemblyman Joel Anderson is pushing to ban online mapping services from publishing clear photos of key buildings used by the public — but fuzzy images would be fine.
"All I'm asking is that they reduce the level of detail," he said. "They can either smear it or back (the camera) off."
America's enemies benefit from detailed aerial, satellite and street-view images of schools, churches, hospitals and government buildings, Anderson contends.
Terrorists have push-button access to minute details of the buildings' exits, windows, facades, access routes – even rooftop vents, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
So..everything that’s fuzzy is a “key” building,eh?..that sure simplifies things...
Isn’t that one of those Palmetto Bug crossings in FL? :P
I find Google earth to be intrusive and an invasion of my privacy.
I'm sure that our firefighters, SWAT teams, and specialized building rescue teams would rather enter a property that they have no idea about than be able to look at detailed photos so they can find the entrances, likely points of entry, etc. /sarc off
Perhaps Assemblyman Joel Anderson and other like-minded elected officials are worried that the ‘sheeple’ might get a good look at the luxurious homes these leaders reside while claiming to represent the common man.
Just a thought.....
Yep.
I find Google earth to be intrusive and an invasion of my privacy as well - BUT I also find the government telling me (or a business, or anyone for that matter) what they can and cannot publish intrusive and an invasion of freedom of speech, freedom of press - so I am tossed up on this. We are standing on a slippery slope with these issues.
Other than the rooftop vents, what can these "terrorists" get that they couldn't just by driving by and videotaping their target? Put the camera equipment in a van with dark windows and no one will ever notice it. Did the terrorists on 9/11 need a detailed satellite photo of New York to figure out where the World Trade Center towers were? Is the idiot assemblyman in California going to require companies producing GPS mapping equipment to put in intentional errors much as Soviet maps had errors in them?
Don't want to force terrorists to actually have to look at everything, right?
Ding, ding, ding - we have a winnah!
remember google is run by some very liberal leaning russians. google is no friend of liberty and freedom.
My experience is that fire departments get very well acquainted with public buildings, and large businesses thru the fire inspections they routinely do. I doubt google is of much if any benefit to the fire dept for rescue planning, as they have the inspections that let them pretty much go any place inside or out of the building
Yes terrorist could use google to plan targets on public buildings, just as crooks can use google to plan robberies, and the government and local nanny neighbor with time on their hands have used it to weed out code violations, like sheds in back yards and such (bunch of bull to go after a shed that can only be seen from the air!!!)
Yes google is an intrusion on privacy, I understand that any view of my home from the street or air is in public view. However I would prefer that someone physically has to go to my location to view my home. to post it for the world to see is rude, dangerous, I wish it was illegal, and of course one might want think about how google is making money off of what they photograph, without permission of the owner, nor any compensation.
Google can be used by folks that are basically peeping toms, and I dont think that is right. I know there are laws against folks using telescope's to peer inside homes, now with this new technology, we need to revamp the privacy laws, to be reflective these changes.
If the founding fathers knew of google, they I think would have done something to restrict it, just as they said we have a right to protect our papers, and have private property, I would think they would have frowned on this intrusion from the air or street view. I do not see a Rights issue with restricting Google, it is just too intrusive to be allowed. Just becuase a “private” company is doing it, makes no difference than if the government did it.
This is similar to the publishing of Concealed weapons Permit holders names/addresses in the papers, What I have on my property should not be posted for the world to see.
This needs to be nipped in the bud. I know were we are going, soon it will be real time video, you can be tracked by anyone then. this needs to be stopped now.
google is run by liberal pigs, just check out who they support in elections. And liberals dont value freedom, liberty and rights. How can you have these if someone is always watching you, see what you own, how your keep your stuff, where you go?????
I’m of two minds on this. I did find it somewhat disconcerting that in another version of this (Mapquest?) that had photos, I could pick out individual fighter jets on the flight line of my son’s base in NC.
Of course, our potential state enemies have all kinds of resources (satellites) to get those photos, but I have felt that more “local” terrorist types could use such images to, for example, lob a few mortar rounds at the planes from a hidden location in the forests that surround three sides of the base, and then get away relatively easily.
One has to assume they could also measure ranges pretty accurately.
This was a few years ago. I noticed later that the pictures had disappeared.
Ya just can’t please everyone, all the time. I’ve read here from many people that think it’s wrong to have too much information available for this very reason...now the current govt suggests it, and people don’t like it??!!
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