Google Maps - Singapore restricted zones
By Murray Bourne, 13 Apr 2007
I was looking for an address in Singapore's Streetdirectory.com, and was surprised to see many portions of the satellite view were hidden by a message that says:
Their maps are supplied by Google.
But this is strange because over at Google Maps, there are no such restrictions and you can see the whole island.
Significance? This is a Mindef (Ministry of Defence) facility. The Singapore government has put a lid on Streetdirectory.com showing those areas, but you can see those areas so easily elsewhere. Seems to me like a rather ineffective way to hide - in fact, it draws attention to those places.
Footnote: I modified this post (by removing some images before publishing) after reading a blog post on the same issue (not longer available) where the authors of Streetdirectory.com write:
With regards to why the images are blocked on Streetdirectory.com. Yes, thats the requirement from our local authorities here.
Google is not a Singapore based company but we are. So we have to play by the rules even though it does seems funny and weird.
I suggest that u guys dont publish anything that have sensitive information. Law is law π
And that, folks, is how self-censorship works in Singapore.
See the 3 Comments below.
22 Apr 2007 at 9:15 am [Comment permalink]
Hey - you better don't publish those pictures or they'll come and get you...
It's surprising that the gahment hasn't required Google to restrict those places as well. Or maybe the asked and were told where to go.
Such a waste of the gahment's time.
1 May 2007 at 6:14 am [Comment permalink]
It sounds like China's attempts to restrict information!
Eventually, everyone gets the information, so what's the point?
26 Aug 2010 at 1:12 pm [Comment permalink]
Thats funny.
Google has a local office now in SG. Its weird that they can still publish the satellite images freely.
Maybe when you are Google, our government wont offend you. They need the foreign direct investments. he he