No, Google Maps has never blurred Russian army bases

You may have seen the information floating around on Twitter. Google blurred satellite images, according to a Twitter account affiliated with the Ukrainian military Some Russian military facilities on Google Maps. Several photos of Russian equipment and infrastructure can be seen in the publication, and the caption includes the following statements: “Now everyone can see various Russian launchers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, command centers and secret sites with a resolution of about 0.5 meters per pixel.

This post was cited by numerous media outlets, such as the Moscow Times, while the English translation of the tweet was shared thousands of times. After verification, one of the photos in the tweet is indeed available on Google Maps and It represents an active Russian military zone.

Also read: Russians will present an alternative to Google Play Store on May 9, 2022

Google did not blur images of Russian bases

However, Google wanted to quickly clarify the situation. Mountain View company states that this is not new and Russia has not changed its policy regarding satellite images anytime soon. “Hello, please note that we have not made any changes to the blurring of our satellite images in Russia”, assured the web giant on Twitter.

In other words, while the satellite images in circulation are probably legitimate, It was available on Google Maps long before the start of the conflict in Ukraine. But keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for Google to scramble and blur satellite images of sensitive areas, including military bases. This is especially true of the French air base 705 near Tours. But, many military installations are visible to everyoneLike the American base at Nellis, without forgetting the famous Area 51 in Nevada.

In fact, it is difficult to know why some sensitive areas are blurry and others are not in Google Maps satellite images. Note that Google took other measures against Russia after the start of the war. While Google chose to suspend product/service sales in Russia, the company also banned Russian state media from publishing ads on YouTube channels. In this regard, Russia has threatened to sue Google if it continues to publish videos on YouTube that contradict the Kremlin’s official version.