ISTANBUL

Poland’s Defense Ministry has asked Google to obscure military bases on Street View, which has been providing publicly accessible detailed imagery for years, according to broadcaster TVP World.

The ministry confirmed having submitted a formal request to Google to mask objects "important for security and defense of the state" in Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google Street View services.

It reaffirmed that Google Maps and Google Earth completed the process of masking objects indicated by the ministry, while Google Street View is at the stage of preparation for implementation.

The request came after an investigation by Polish outlet Interia found that Google Street View had for years displayed potentially sensitive details—such as CCTV locations, radar systems, antennas, and armed soldiers—at bases across the country, with imagery dating from 2019 to July 2025.

Although major military sites have long been blurred on Google Maps and Google Earth, the investigation found that Street View imagery of those same locations remained fully accessible.

However, in response to the investigation, the ministry played down the risks, noting that the images are “outdated” and reflect only the conditions at the time they were taken—mostly years ago—rather than the current state of the bases.