Highlights
- Taj Mahal, Red Fort were put on Street View on experimental basis
- Google proposed shooting images and uploading them on Street View
- Security agencies refused, concerned about attacks like in Mumbai
The Union home ministry has refused permission for the Google Street View Service to be launched in India, citing security issues, sources told NDTV.
Earlier, Google Street View was allowed to launch on an experimental basis, where a few tourist attractions like Taj Mahal in Agra and Red Fort was hosted.
Last year, Google made a proposal to shoot images through high-end cameras and upload them on Street View. The formal proposal was submitted in July last year.
The Ministry of Defence and security agencies, however, expressed their deep apprehension and pointed to 26/11 Mumbai attacks, where US citizen and LeT operative David Coleman Headley filmed targets and passed it on to a terrorist who carried out the attack.
Google is yet to respond on the matter.
So far, the Google Street View service is available in 76 countries.
Street View allows people around the world to access 360-degree panoramic imagery of a place from their phone, tablet, or computer.