Google was allowed to street-level map a U.S. military base

Since it’s the fifth anniversary of the DHS, we’ve got homeland security on the brain today. So it was fitting that this terrifying little tidbit just came over the AP: The Pentagon has banned Google Earth teams from making detailed street-level video maps of U.S. military bases…. Michael Kucharek, spokesman for U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated ...

Since it's the fifth anniversary of the DHS, we've got homeland security on the brain today. So it was fitting that this terrifying little tidbit just came over the AP:

Since it’s the fifth anniversary of the DHS, we’ve got homeland security on the brain today. So it was fitting that this terrifying little tidbit just came over the AP:

The Pentagon has banned Google Earth teams from making detailed street-level video maps of U.S. military bases…. Michael Kucharek, spokesman for U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the decision was made after crews were allowed access to at least one base. He said military officials were concerned that allowing the 360-degree, street-level video could provide sensitive information to potential adversaries and endanger base personnel."

Um, no duh. Considering that Google Earth is a favorite tool of terrorist groups — including the Palestinian al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which uses it to target and kill Israeli civilians — this strikes me as a pretty common sense decision.

And it begs the question: Who the heck allowed a team from Google Earth, presumably carrying all sorts of video and mapping equipment, access to a U.S. military base in the first place?

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