Sunday, September 25, 2005

Google's power makes security officials nervous

By Al Kamen / Washington Post

Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

WASHINGTON -- Google has fast become the Internet search engine everyone clicks on to find out nearly anything about anyone, including financial, political and other presumably private data.

But national security officials and others -- reportedly even Google CEO Eric Schmidt -- are getting a bit uncomfortable about Google's extraordinary reach.

Schmidt was most unhappy when an Internet news reporter, writing about Google and privacy, used the search engine and quickly found and revealed Schmidt's home address.

U.S. military officers in Iraq -- and national security officials in other countries -- are said to be especially concerned with Google Earth, which provides stunning satellite images of everywhere on the globe. The fear is that terrorists and Iraqi insurgents could use the images to help plot attacks.

Google, however, has noted that the images are easily found from commercial sources. Its Google Maps site has blurred images of high-value targets, such as the White House and the Capitol.

But Google Earth still provides detailed images of the White House. And senior administration officials privately have expressed increased alarm in recent days that bad guys can use Google Earth to get too close a look at the White House or at the Crawford, Texas, ranch where President Bush vacations.