Satellite Mapping Services: Google Faces Heat After it Skips to Blur Images of Belgium Defense Sites

Even after the Belgium government had requested Google to blur satellite images of its sensitive military sites, the search engine behemoth did not pay heed to the request made. As a result, the government is suing the company, an official confirmed to Reuters.

The official said it is a matter of national security as the images of the sites such as air bases, nuclear power stations on Google’s satellite mapping services were not blurred. 

“The Ministry of Defence will sue Google as it is a matter of national security,” the official said, without giving further details to the news organization.

However, according to many reports surfacing after the Belgium government’s “we will sue Google” remark, the company has complied with similar requests from other governments especially when the matter revolves around national security.

Google’s Belgium-based representative while terming the remark shameful said the company has complied with the government’s request and has not broken any rule.

“It’s a shame the Belgium Department of Defense has decided to take this decision,” said Michiel Sallaets, a spokesman for Google in Belgium.

“We have been working closely with them for more than two years, making changes to our maps were asked and legal,” Mr. Sallaets added.

The Belgium Ministry of Defence official and Mr. Sallaets were quoted on the news organization’s website.