Does Apple Maps Jeopardize National Security?

So it's not so much a better photo but that they didn't take the time to check up on things like this. Or addresses, etc.

prison break powered by Apple.

What ever the civilians see, is a nice quality technology, but what the military sees from many various countries is most likely extremely better and we will not hear about it for 10 years in the future. Of which case, the military will be that much more advance again, to what the civilians sees.

And as we talk about what Google or Apple displays, nobody really cares what the NSA is listening too.

The NSA is listening to all communications throughout the world in real time, if you are a criminal or not.

But yea, sure, lets worry about fuzzy display google or apple maps.

And as we talk about what Google or Apple displays, nobody really cares what the NSA is listening too.

The NSA is listening to all communications throughout the world in real time, if you are a criminal or not.

But yea, sure, lets worry about fuzzy display google or apple maps.

Of the 100 million people who upgraded from IOS5 to IOS6, between 10 and 40 million people are challenged - with advanced age, declining or low cognition, technology illiteracy....

Most of these people do not know anything about the dysfunctional IOS6 Maps and have not heard of Tim Cooks Apology. They are unlikely to read or understand the alternative solutions suggested by Tim Cook. They do not know that the data is mostly wrong for locations outside the USA.

They will do what they have done before, use an easy to use, very well designed Map application (this is true for both IOS5 Maps and IOS6 Maps). They do not know that unlike earlier, the new Maps may point them to the wrong place or in the wrong direction.

They risk injury and death.

Apple IOS6 Maps must - on every screen or through repeated notifications, warn of the problem. Not doing so would be irresponsible.

They must also provide a simple way for people to downgrade or revert to IOS5 Maps or IOS5 - both of which have been blocked by Apple.

gkinchina,
Your thinking makes a good argument for not to have automated self driving cars. Imagine if the map is wrong, relative to GPS?

Its so stupid to try and hide a building, structure, base, landmark etc, in a world of 7 Billion. Military see this data with nothing hidden. Does that fact that we now know how many buildings, and the exact location of them, make a bit of difference?

Only other military would want to strike this site and they have the data anyways. If civiliants wanted to see this then they could simply draw the map themselves. The motive to strike the referenced location would then fuel the collection of said data to complete the attack. Not the other way around. "Oh crap look!? There is a building here with prisoners in it!? Let's go get get it!!!!". Really? Not likely.

However, simply having it there as a still image does nothing. The only people the information is hidden from is the people who would do nothing with it anyways accept to ensure they stay clear of it.

Government BS in my book. You can't hide land from a map anymore. If you want it hidden then put it underground. Freakin idiots.

"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon."

I actually like Apple better now.

"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon."

D13,
The concern isn't that a military would see this information. It's that civilians with ties to individuals inside this facility would see it. Being a maximum security prison, the grounds layout shouldn't be accessable to those people who would like to be able to break someone out.

tertertert: Frankly, that's stupid. Security through obscurity is no security at all. Being a maximum security prison, the security should be good enough that the grounds layout doesn't help people who would like to be able to break someone out - because eventually somebody will manage to see it somehow.

Seems Apple has another wikileaks leaking sensitive military maps. Lol.

No, it just seems Apple bought up a lot of data from companies but it just not brought together in the right way yet and it needs to be expanded as well with personal data, pics, etc like google maps. I`m not an Apple fan by anyway though.

Willfully imposed ignorance may be the poorest strategy for national defense I have ever heard of. We have the capacity to allow anyone one Earth to see anywhere on Earth instantaneously, a capability attributed to none but the Gods for thousands of years, and we want to prevent that so some potential prison break is less likely to succeed?

Ultimately this conversation won't be relevant for very long, as on-demand satellite imaging is becoming viable. Our children will be able to see satellite images real time, so the proposed censorship will have to be actively programmed and runs into different sorts of ethical issues.

Did anyone else notice that the actual article on "the Verge" has a major error in the title?

Curious_One: What error? It looks fine to me. Unless it has been changed since you posted? I read "Sloppy security? Apple and Nokia conceal fewer sensitive sites than Google Maps", which is perfectly fine as headlines go.

The US military has had technology that could tell a quarter heads or tails since the early 60's. No reason the rest of us shouldnt have access to a map. Aside from syria and iran the world isnt in an agressive state. concerns over "national security" are a load of BS.

Not to mention ground penetrating radar, scalar arrays (like HAARP) which can make maps and affect weather, fault lines and more. The stuff they have that is unknown is ( according to a diplomat i knew) 100-200 years ahead of what they disclose publicly.

Also, I believe a more political reason may be at play here. Intelligence-wise, that is. So, you make a map. You get raw sattelite data that show all sorts of "secret" things. Now, the owners of those secret things have to come to you and request you "hide" them. You site "freedom of speech/information" and viola! You now have those organizations paying you not to show that information. This most likely happnened with Microsoft and with Google, in some form. Not to mention both companies are probably have products used by the Military anyways. So what I'm saying is, why should Apple hide this until they get theirs? Google probably gets to use government sattelites for cheap to do their mapping. Microsoft probably gets mad tax breaks and free energy, or something. Besides, look how many secret locations they would then hold? Thats serious data. Governments and security organizations are hating the Map Wars. Now we see information of the masses, playing in the same field as international intelligence. Interesting. This is where they start to be held accountable for things that they can no longer hide. The governed are now one step closer to the Governings intelligence. A unified world is one with total information. A unified government comes when a world of unified people all have the same relative interests. Pretty cool in my book. One World, One people.... at least if I'm not reading in too deep on this one. It is plausible. And Apple does stand to gain by forcing organizations to pay to hide that data. I don't see them giving it up for free. Google is probably very pissed right now and Apple moves into their "real" territory. I like Google too though. :)

"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon."

Nobody cares that NSA, can listen to your phone calls, read your email, nope, nobody cares and they are doing this all in real time to everyone in the World, who are guilty of a crime or even the innocent.

Nope! Nobody cares.....

Have a global picture maps is the least intrusive thing by far.

Quick! Someone look at Area 51!

By all means, with all the problems Apple is having with its maps and GPS systems. Lets give it to every foreign government on earth. They'll go to bomb Washington DC and will hit New Jersey, everybody wins!

I think if it was the other way round and Washington DC was bombed with all the politicians and lobbyists in it, the US would be a much better place.

Robot,
It might make a good argument against self driving cars if they ONLY relied on gps data. However, they have a multitude of sensors to get where they are going. At most if the map is wrong, you just wont end up where you'd like to be, but you would be perfectly safe.

It would be cool to implement a feature in the self driving cars that let them connect to the internet and verify map locations from a variety of different services to get the most accurate data.

Every One is worrying about Apple yet there are all sorts of other sites that offer live updates to tracking Vessels (Military included) as well as real life updates of classified areas of Military bases around the world. Apple is on the tail end of this technology why worry about prison breaks from whats available online when the same information is easier to obtain in local areas.

@DickySimms:
Actually, the satellite imagery of Area 51 is much better on Google maps. Do a search for Groom Lake, NV.