Home Ministry, which decides the security clearance for such services, was unlikely to allow Google’s Street View services in India given red flags raised by the Defence Ministry. It is learnt that a technical committee of the Defence Ministry, which comprises officials from Indian Air Force, Military Intelligence, Navy, Army and Intelligence Bureau, had unanimously opposed the service, the official said.

“The main concern was security of sensitive defence installations. The Defence Ministry said it was not possible to monitor the service once it was launched and it would be detrimental to national security,” said a senior government official.

Post-Pathankot attack

The proposal was rejected in February itself, primarily amid security concerns after the terror attack at the Pathankot airbase on January 1-2. Investigating agencies suspect that terrorists used Google maps as they were aware of the airbase’s topography.

The decision comes close on the heels of a proposed law to regulate Internet content in the country. The Home Ministry recently uploaded the draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016 for comments from the public. The Bill proposes jail term of seven years and a fine upto Rs. 100 crore for wrongly depicting the map of India, a move that is likely to hit Google and Microsoft. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said once the proposed bill comes into force, issues related to Internet-based applications would be resolved.

High-end cameras

In April 2015, Google representatives made a presentation on Street View for the MHA.

They had told the officials then that the platform would be useful for tourism and disaster management.

A formal proposal was submitted in July same year to shoot images through high-end cameras and upload them on ‘Street View’.

There was anticipation that the service would get a nod from MHA after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Google headquarters in California in September 2015.

Pilot project

In 2011, Google launched Street View as a pilot project in some of the tourist sites like Qutub Minar, the Thanjavur temple, the Varanasi riverbank, the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, Nalanda University, Mysore Palace and Chinnaswamy Stadium in partnership with the Tourism Ministry.

The service was launched in 2007 in the U.S. and has since expanded to other parts of the world.

The Street View imagery has run into trouble in Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Poland and the United Kingdom amid privacy concerns and data protection issues.