As per Peter Goodyear of earthtimes.org, as expected Google's addictive Google Earth program has caused some governments to take offense with the latest one being India, whose technology favoring President rued about the access of the revealing satellite images to the wrong kind of enthusiasts, in a way raising the country's security vulnerability.

While Indian military analysts remained divided, President Abdul Kalam warned that terrorists could use the rather cool application to find their targets besides identify the location of military establishments.

The June-launched website http://earth.google.com, has allowed users unrestricted access to satellite imagery that otherwise was hardly ever available to the common man. The sophisticated images capture both the wondrous aspects of Earth' geography and allow even street level viewing of cities but at the same time feature sensitive military and political sites.

While the Indian President is one of many leaders to raise an alarm after similar reactions by Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea, some defense analysts like Uday Bhaskar of the India's Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis do not find Google Earth as "a security threat" since some imagery is already "available commercially for a price". But what they do not dwell on is that this availability exists only for those who know how to secure it, whereas Google Earth literally throws open the images for everyone right from the harmless housewife to the boot-bomb carrying small time terrorists.

While Bhaskar puts this as a "part of technology enabling characteristics of the present times" and "the reality we have to deal with it", it leaves the onus of responsible viewing to each and every Google Earth user. No wonder that these three dimensional images have raised concerns from all quarters of the globe among space policy makers. While lack a global policy makes it hard to prohibit foreign satellite images of a country from floating on the net, there is a need for care in making sensitive images available to just about anyone.

Anything free itself does make itself widely accessible and the "3D interface to the planet" allows viewers even the possibility of seeking specific buildings worldwide and sharing these views with others by marking them. Currently, though to residents of Delhi, the Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan maybe all too familiar, for someone with a malafide intent from some other corner of the globe, it is the Google Earth that makes their location all too clear.

While Dr Kalam's "alert" maybe discussed at "the highest level", it maybe worthy of Google to pay heed to these concerns. Maps are widely available on the net, but satellite imagery provides topographic details besides uncensored information. If Google is really catering to enthusiasts of the net, why include the deck of India's only aircraft carrier for everybody's viewing. Why dwell on the very facet of a country that only those with military interests or even destructive objectives seek.

Google Earth is fun, but can skip pricking national sensitivities before it actually raises a bulwark against itself. While satellite imagery may not be a foolproof tool to detect military activities, Google probably could make its images "foolish-act proof" by hiding some details, especially when Osama Bin Laden's handiwork on the WTC twin towers still is fresh in everyone's minds.

Military satellites are far more advanced and can get up real close so perhaps these are watching you!

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