Google Street View is awesome. With just a few taps of a button, you can get transported to new countries to explore their streets, landscapes, museums, and more. I remember using it two years ago to get a feel for my hotel's location in London and check the distance between the metro station exit and the hotel. I didn't want to look like a complete tourist upon my arrival for my first vacation in the city.

But Street View has caused lots of security and privacy concerns. Some countries have outright banned Google from driving their streets, others have spent years arguing with Google until they let it start collecting information (like Greece), and others have citizens who asked Google to blur their houses, and so on.

Now India seems to be joining the ranks of the first category, after Google's plans to cover the country faced objections from security agencies. According to The Press Trust of India agency, the country's interior ministry has told Google it rejected its plans to cover India through Street View. But apparently the order hasn't been received by Google yet, according to a spokesperson who talked to the BBC.

India's main reservation was over the public availability of information related to defense installations, and the ministry of defense thinks Street View could be "detrimental to national security." I have a hard time associating that cute Street View car to threats of national security, but I understand where the Indian government is coming from. Anyone could access the data and plan attacks if they wanted to. But then again, anyone can walk with a hidden camera and do some recon in almost any place they want. I suppose India could have just asked Google to keep its Street View cars off certain areas and let users benefit from it everywhere else, but what do I know.

Source: BBC