The Google/Katrina Controversy
At some point, Google inexplicably reverted all of its satellite imagery of New Orleans to pre-Katrina conditions on both Google Maps and Google Earth. The question people were asking was why? Many residents affected by the tragedy felt as if the images were an attempt to "airbrush" the truth of the devastation, by displaying only pre-disaster images. On March 30th, 2007, Rep. Brad Miller (D-North Carolina), the chairman of the House Science Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, requested Google explain its motives, specifically inquiring in a letter addressed to Google CEO Eric Schmidt if Google was contacted by FEMA, USGS, or any other federal agency concerning the satellite images. A conspiracy! What confuses me is Google’s response, which indicates that "in September 2006, the storm imagery was replaced with pre-Katrina aerial photography of much higher resolution as part of a regular series of global data enhancements." In fact, the Google Blog states, they "continued to make available the Katrina imagery, and associated overlays such as damage assessments and Red Cross shelters, on a dedicated site, earth.google.com/katrina.html." If that’s the case, then why did this controversy just spring up now? I think the true conspiracy is whoever decided that, 7 months after the switch, this is a now an issue.
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Did you know the imagery had been switched seven months ago? I didn’t. Searching now and knowing that the maps had once presented the post-Katrina New Orleans, I would have expected the current views would be recent. Maybe Google should date each map square?
Google Maps and Google Earth are becoming a a de-facto view of the world. As the Google blog said, they’re changing the aerial views due to “the increasingly important role that imagery is coming to play in the public discourse.”
It didn’t just come up now. It’s just a bigger deal now because a Congressman made a stink about it. It’s a bigger deal now because MORE people know about it now.
When Google made the change in Sept. 2006 some people complained about, just not enough. Now enough have complained.