HC asks Centre as plea claims sensitive areas accessible on web

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to see whether Internet search major Google should be restrained from uploading maps of India, including defence installations, on its web service.

A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar issued the directions while disposing a plea highlighting that defence establishments that are closed for public are easily accessible through satellite images uploaded on Google Earth.

In the petition, lawyer Kisalaya Shukla has said only the Indian government had the right to provide detailed maps of the country.

The plea also sought directions to the government to make available to the citizens its indigenous navigation system — NavIC — so that people do not to depend on similar services provided by private entities.

The High Court asked the Central government to treat his petition as a representation and consider whether it was necessary to restrain Google India from publishing the detailed maps of India as was sought in the plea.

Hostile nations

It said the government can issue necessary directions to Google India in accordance with the law if required.

The petition claimed that the maps on Google were not only available to the general public, but also hostile nations. Mr. Shukla alleged that despite the Central government denying permission to Google to make available its Street View service, it continues to upload panoramic view of all Indian cities and areas bordering the LoC with Pakistan.

Mr. Shukla also claimed that according to one of the terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Google images were used by them to study and do a reconnaissance of the city.