Google Plans to Censor Certain Sensitive Sites in South Korea

(MENAFN) On Tuesday, Google announced plans to censor certain sensitive locations and satellite imagery in South Korea in response to the government’s heightened "national security concerns."

The company confirmed it will " take additional security measures, including blurring sensitive facilities on Google Maps and Google Earth," according to a statement quoting Cris Turner, Google’s vice president for government affairs and public policy.

Google emphasized that satellite imagery is publicly accessible worldwide and can be purchased by anyone.

"We have already confirmed our commitment with the (South) Korean government to blur satellite images as required," the statement said, adding that Google is also exploring options to source imagery from approved Korean third parties when suitable.

This announcement precedes a government panel meeting scheduled for Friday, where officials are expected to rule on Google’s pending request to export South Korea’s high-precision 1:5,000 scale map data, according to local media.

The tech giant submitted this application in February seeking permission to transfer the sensitive data to its overseas data centers. However, concerns remain about the possible exposure of military bases and other critical infrastructure within South Korea.

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