Google to censor satellite views of South Korea over security concerns

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Aug 2025 22:00

Google is set to censor satellite imagery in South Korea following government pressure, as fears grow over potential exposure of military and strategic sites.

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Audience members gather at Made By Google for new product announcements at Google on Aug. 13, 2024, in Mountain View, Calif. (AP)

Google announced on Tuesday that it will begin censoring images of sensitive sites in South Korea in response to what the government perceives as heightened national security concerns.

In a public statement, the company said it would "take additional security measures, including blurring sensitive facilities on Google Maps and Google Earth."

The statement, attributed to Cris Turner, Google’s vice president for government affairs and public policy, emphasized the company's cooperation with South Korean authorities.

Wider context

The tech giant acknowledged that satellite imagery is broadly accessible and can be purchased globally but noted it had already agreed to comply with South Korea’s requests to obscure particular areas.

“We have already confirmed our commitment with the (South) Korean government to blur satellite images as required,” the statement read, adding that Google is also considering acquiring approved imagery from South Korean providers “where appropriate".

The announcement comes just days ahead of a government panel meeting scheduled for Friday. The session is expected to rule on whether to allow Google to export South Korea’s 1:5,000-scale high-precision map data, a request the company submitted in February.

Google's application has stirred unease among South Korean officials, who fear the transfer of such detailed data to overseas servers could compromise national defense by exposing military installations and other sensitive infrastructure.