Indian court asked to ban Google Earth

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MUMBAI, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- An Indian court heard arguments to ban Google Earth amid suspicions that the online imaging tool was used in last month's deadly attacks on Mumbai.

Lawyer Amit Karkhanis argued Tuesday that militants use the free satellite imaging and other Web-based tools to plan and execute their attacks, a phenomenon called "the Google threat," The Times of London reported Wednesday.

The Mumbai High Court case alleged Google Earth and similar services "aid terrorists in plotting attacks" by supplying detailed images militants can use to familiarize themselves with their targets. More than 170 people died in the coordinated attacks on India's financial and entertainment hub in November.

The British Army may have already taken up the matter with the U.S. company, the British newspaper reported. It was reported last year that insurgents planning attacks on a British base in Basra, Iraq, used Google Earth and received clear images of buildings inside the camp. Google later replaced the images with photographs taken before the base was built.

In the Indian court, it was learned Google Earth still had images showing the layout of India's atomic research facility, despite Indian officials expressing their concern more than a year ago, the Times reported.