Plans to photograph Israeli cities for Google’s Street View platform has sparked security concerns amongst various officials who fear the data could be exploited to help terrorist organizations plan attacks.
“We already have problems with Google Earth, which exposes all kinds of facilities,” retired Lt. Col. Mordechai Kedar told the Associated Press.
Nevertheless, a team of Israeli cabinet ministers – headed by Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor – recently kicked off a collaborative effort with Google to find a safe way of implementing the feature “as soon as possible.”
To be sure, the team has been tasked with walking a fine line between increasing visibility for tourist sites, while simultaneously ensuring public safety and protecting personal privacy.
As such, if Israeli cities are added to Street View, it is quite likely that significant restrictions will be placed on filming security installations such as army bases and other defense related facilities.
Although Israeli ministers declined to comment, a Google rep emphasized that the company hoped “to offer the benefits of street-level imagery to users all around the world.”
