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Found something censored in google maps

justin [PersonRank 0]

Thursday, December 21, 2006
17 years ago4,538 views

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=buffalo&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=42.96787,-78.920106&spn=0.003297,0.010815&t=k&om=1

This is in Buffalo, New York in the USA.

Note how the road is hi-res but the buildings on either side look as if they've been airbrushed. Anyone know what this buidling complex is?

NateDawg [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

It looks like the two companies that have grey out buildings are dunlop rubber and dupont chemicals.

http://picasaweb.google.com/topdawgnate/Web/photo#5011105868594225554

Sohil [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Google does this for the White House and other sensitive locations. What I find interesting is Google complies with the US Govt. but not with others like India, South Korea and Indonesia.

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Reminds me of the Superman episode where the villain was kidnapping Lois Lane, hiding her in some special metal box that he knew Superman couldn't see through. Turns out all Superman now had to do to find Lois Lane was look through all of Metropolis with his superivision, and the one object that stood out was the metal in its "super secret" location! (Yeah, I read way too much comic books.)

justin [PersonRank 0]

17 years ago #

why would dunlop rubber and dupont chemicals be censored though?

unless – maybe – they aren't really legitimate corporate sites, but rather, something to do with the NSA or CIA?

(been watching too much Close Encounters of the Third Kind...)

DPic [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I find this really interesting. Could this further the idea that Google has been thoroughly penetrated by the united states government?

Has anybody tried contacting google?

Reto Meier [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Dupont is the world's largest chemical company. As such it does a *lot* of work for the US government. So a Dunlop site can be a legitimate corporate site and have something to do with national security. I dare say there are some Boeing sites that look a little blurry too!

Doesn't really forward the idea of government forces pentrating Google – I think it's more likely that they either:
a) received a letter on Department of Defence letterhead saying "Please blur these sites. Now."
b) Got a bunch of photographs / satellite imagery from their suppliers with unexplained blurry sections.

Oh, and Sohil: I beleive Google does do the same for foreign governments when asked.

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