This is a list of satellite map images with missing or unclear data. Some locations on free, publicly viewable satellite map services have such issues due to having been intentionally digitally obscured or blurred for various reasons. For example, Westchester County, New York asked Google to blur potential terrorism targets (such as an amusement park, a beach, and parking lots) from its satellite imagery. There are situations where the censorship of certain sites was subsequently removed. For example, when Google Maps and Google Earth were launched, images of the White House and United States Capitol were blurred out; however, these sites are now uncensored.

Countries engaged with Google Maps During talks with the Indian government, Google issued a statement saying "Google has been talking and will continue to talk to the Indian government about any security concerns it may have regarding Google Earth." Google agreed to blur images on request of the Indian government.

The Australian government has decided that images of sensitive areas are not a risk, due to poor level of detail. It was reported that in the lead-up to the APEC forum in Sydney held in September 2007 certain key locations in images of the city's central business district, where APEC leaders were meeting, might have been intentionally reduced in resolution; however, Google has indicated that the change was unrelated to APEC, while the NSW police said that they knew nothing about the change in Google's images. Images of the prime minister's official residence, The Lodge have not been blurred. However, images of its roof have been and the entrance to The Lodge is blurred in Google Street View.

The government of Malaysia has stated that it will not ask Google to censor sensitive areas because that would identify the locations it deemed to be sensitive.

List

Most military and defense facilities, along with many private homes, appear blurred in mapping services. The vast majority of Antarctica is also in low resolution due to the bright, often featureless, ice and snow making high-resolution imaging both difficult and largely unnecessary. The following is a partial list of notable known map sections that have been blurred or blanked.

Antarctica Location Country or region Details Link and coordinates Antarctica Several large areas of Antarctica are blurred, including one over long. Blurring is well past the normal low-resolution for most of the continent.

Asia Location Country or region Details Link and coordinates Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat Komando Daerah Militer III Siliwangi IndonesiaOn August 8, 2024, the satellite imagery of Indonesian military installations was censored on Google Maps. They remain visible on Apple Maps and Bing Maps.https://kirtay.net/google-maps-national-security-and-intelligence-warfare Direktorat Ajudan Jenderal Angkatan Darat Dinas Jasmani Militer Angkatan Darat Komando Daerah Militer IV/Diponegoro Komando Daerah Militer Jayakarta Pusat Zeni Angkatan Darat Mabes TNI AD Divisi Infanteri 1/Kostrad Komando Daerah Militer Iskandar Muda Komando Daerah Militer I/Bukit Barisan Komando Daerah Militer XII/Tanjungpura Komando Daerah Militer II/Sriwijaya Komando Daerah Militer XIII/Merdeka Komando Daerah Militer XIV/Hasanuddin Komando Daerah Militer XVIII/Kasuari Yonkav 4/Kijang Sakti Komando Daerah Militer XVI/Pattimura Komando Daerah Militer V/Brawijaya Military installation on Weh Island Narrow area of military installation covered by clouds in Google Maps. North Korea North Korea Satellite imagery is not censored, but buildings and roads are unlabeled in Google Maps. Israel Israel Large parts of the Israel have much lower resolution satellite imagery on Google Maps than other populated areas. This is a result of the Kyl–Bingaman Amendment that was dropped in 2020. Since then Google Maps has updated the Palestinian territories and parts of Israel with higher resolution satellite images.

Europe Location Country or region Details Link and coordinates Mando de Transmisiones del Ejército "Army Command Signals" Spain Blurred in Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Base Militar Punta Camorro Zaragoza Air Base Blurred intentionally on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Heliport in El EjidoBlurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Lisbon prison Portugal Blurred on Google Maps. Leiria prison Tires Prison Lisbon Naval Base Montijo Air Base Centro De Comunicações De Dados E De Cifra Da Marinha Military facility blurred on Google Maps. Stare Kiejkuty (base)PolandBlurred on Google Maps. NATO Communications and Information Agency Netherlands Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Ministry of Defence headquarters Headquarters of the Dutch Ministry of Defence. Blurred on Bing Maps. Kromhoutkazerne Headquarters of the Royal Dutch Army. Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Volkel Air Base Military air base. Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Eindhoven Airport Combined commercial airport and military air base. Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Leeuwarden Air Base Military air base. Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Nieuwe Haven Naval Base Military naval base. Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. De Kooy Airfield Military air base. Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Legerplaats Harskamp Military base and training grounds. Blurred on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Noordeinde Palace Palace of the Dutch royal family. Blurred on Bing Maps. Élysée Palace France Residence of the President of the French Republic. Blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. In Google Maps the surrounding area is also not rendered in 3D like the rest of Paris. Palais de l'Alma A national palace of the French Republic, blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. Satory Military camp, blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base Military air base, blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. La Santé Prison Prison in Paris, blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. Phare de Tévennec Lighthouse in Brittany. No satellite imagery available on Google Maps but visible on Apple Maps and Bing Maps. Brest Arsenal Naval base, blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. INTERPOL Blurred on Google Maps. The surrounding area is also not rendered in 3D like the rest of Lyon. Marcoule Nuclear Site Blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant Blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps and Google Maps. Ramstein Air Base Germany Blurred on Apple Maps. Boden Sweden Military area around the town of Boden in Sweden. Extensively blurred on Apple Maps. Luleå/Kallax Airport Airport in Luleå, also used for military purposes. Blurred on Apple Maps. Karlskrona Naval Base Karlskrona Naval Base. Blurred on Apple Maps. Switzerland Blurred on Apple Maps. Prince's Palace of MonacoPrince's Palace of Monaco censorship on Apple Maps Monaco

North America Location Country or region Details Link and coordinates 14 Rue Emile Sasco St Pierre and Miquelon Administrative Court Of Saint-Pierre And Miquelon. Specific building blurred on Apple Maps, Bing Maps, blurred more widely on Google Maps

Oceania Location Country or region Details Link and coordinates Yangor Nauru Multiple areas have much lower resolution imagery on Google Maps than the rest of the island.

See also Cartographic censorship Restrictions on geographic data in South Korea

References