CBI
has registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Internet giant Google
over Mapathon 2013, an event organised by the US company, for allegedly
violating laws by mapping sensitive areas and defence installations,
prohibited by law.
CBI
registered the PE based on a complaint filed by Surveyor General of
India’s office to the Union home ministry in which Google was accused of
indulging in activities of mapping several areas which were not
included in the maps of the country, official sources said here.
The
Internet giant had not taken permission from Survey of India, country’s
official mapping agency, before organising a mapping competition in
February-March 2013 when they asked citizens to map their neighbourhood,
especially details related to hospitals and restaurants.
Alarmed
by Mapathon, the Survey of India (SoI), India’s national survey and
mapping organisation under the department of science and technology,
asked the Internet giant to share its details where they found that
there were several coordinates having details of sensitive defence
installations which are out of the public domain.
Highlighting
the violations to the home ministry, the SoI said only it was mandated
to undertake ‘Restricted’ category surveying and mapping, and no other
government or private organisations or individual are authorised to do
so.
As
per the National Map Policy 2005, the responsibility for producing,
maintaining and disseminating the topographic map database of the whole
country, which is the foundation of all spatial data, vests with the
Survey of India.
Responding
to queries, Google India said, “We are in touch with relevant
authorities and take national regulations and security very seriously.
We are not aware of any privacy issues and have nothing more to share at
this point in time.
Posted by : Gizmeon
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