http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/24/world/asia/taiwan-google-itu-aba-taiping-island-blur-photos.html 2016-09-25 06:23:43 For Taiwan, Google Images of Disputed Island Are Too Clear Taiwan made an unusual request to blur pictures of what appear to be new military installations on an island in the South China Sea claimed by four countries. === Satellite photos by Google can be a fun way to see your house — or your neighbor’s — from high above. But in the case of an island in the South China Sea that is claimed by four countries, sometimes those photos can be too revealing. That is the position maintained by United Press International Taiwan has controlled the 110-acre island since 1956. However, the land is also claimed by China, the Philippines and Vietnam. The In a statement, Google said: “We received the request and are looking into it. Google takes security concerns very seriously, and we are always willing to discuss them with public agencies and officials.” The company did not respond to additional questions about how long ago the photos were posted and how often it had received requests like this. The request would help to “ratchet up the tension,” “It’s hard to see what they’re trying to achieve in asking Google to blur it,” Mr. Hoare said, according to the NBC report. He added, “If you build a military installation on an island that size, someone is going to see it.” In July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague A notable finding by the tribunal was its declaration that Itu Aba, the largest land feature in the South China Sea, was not an island that could sustain human habitation or economic activity. The finding that Itu Aba is a rock means that Taiwan is entitled to a territorial sea extending for 12 nautical miles around it but not a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Regarding the request by Taiwan to blur the aerial images, Grace Choi, a spokeswoman for the State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, said in an email, “As we have said, we encourage all claimants to exercise restraint and take advantage of the opportunity presented by the arbitral tribunal’s decision to work together to manage and resolve their disputes.”