A few years back, satellite imagery was the exclusive domain of government entities. But private business has gradually moved in, and over time, the equipment they're sending into space is providing sharper imagery and greater detail. That has left some governments wondering whether the pictures might be revealing a bit too much about sensitive locations. Now, at least one California legislator has taken those worries to an extreme: He wants all government buildings, including schools, to get the low-res treatment from Google Earth and similar services; failure to comply would mean hefty fines and jail time.
For the most part, satellite imagery services have reached agreements with various governments about whether they can photograph sensitive locations and, if so, at what resolution. Similar informal agreements exist with companies such as Microsoft and Google, which provide maps and virtual earth services. For example, as shown here, the images available of the neighborhood near Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC start to get blurry as the service maps areas closer to the White House.
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