# Why are parts of D.C. pixillated on Google maps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803 "2005-05-14T04:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/1 "2005-05-14T04:44:47Z")
[Link](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=washington+dc&ll=38.889842,-77.008892&spn=0.013282,0.018582&t=k&hl=en) It looks like certain buildings were purposefully pixillated (and not in a standard tinfoil hat kind of way). So what gives? ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/2 "2005-05-14T04:51:31Z")
That appears to be the Capitol and (although I’m not entirely sure on this) some congressional office buildings. I’m guessing it’s some kind of national security concern, although I can’t figure out what good it would do. ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/3 "2005-05-14T05:18:01Z")
Congressional and Executive buildings (go west til you see the oval, then north) are obscured. The white house roof is totally blanked out. They have anti-aircraft equipment up there don’t they? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/4 "2005-05-14T05:53:01Z")
> [@Hemlock](#): > > Congressional and Executive buildings (go west til you see the oval, then north) are obscured. The white house roof is totally blanked out. > > They have anti-aircraft equipment up there don’t they? Probably, but they aren’t talking. Interestingly, the [Pentagon](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=pentagon+washington,+dc&ll=38.870434,-77.056442&spn=0.007328,0.006974&t=k&hl=en) remains unobscured. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/5 "2005-05-14T05:56:56Z")
What’s really weird is that the Congress buildings are pixillated, the White House roof (and a nearby building) appear to be redrawn… bout the Pentagon roof appears untouched. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/6 "2005-05-14T06:05:12Z")
Janet Jackson was sunbathing on the roof. I don’t get it. Doesn’t that map say to terrorists, “THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT BUILDINGS!” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/7 "2005-05-14T07:07:11Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Doesn’t that map say to terrorists, “THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT BUILDINGS!” True, but no more than every other map of the city, and every guide book. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/8 "2005-05-14T07:47:37Z")
It’s the same on most satellite image website. [Terraserver](http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=4&S=11&Z=18&X=814&Y=10765&W=1) does the same thing. It seems a little pointless to me. I’ve seen heaps of guide books and picture books of DC with aerial photos that give more detail than those online satellite images. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/9 "2005-05-14T13:49:48Z")
…while I can understand places in Washington DC being edited, but perhaps someone can explain why Google gives [Long Beach, New York](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Long+Beach+NY&ll=40.587745,-73.659511&spn=0.033517,0.037379&t=k&hl=en) the same treatment? (Actually, heavier editing.) FTR, the area blocked out includes the railrod terminal, city hall, bridge to the mainland, and dozens of homes and businesses. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/10 "2005-05-14T13:59:17Z")
I wonder if it isn’ta CYA measure on Google’s part: yes, terrorists could use information from any number of guidebooks and exisiting maps, so Google wants to make damn sure that, should any group plan to attack again, they do use another source. I mean, even if there were a serious plan to attack the capital that was very publically foiled, it would be a Bad Thing for Google if the news stories included a reference to “copies of Goodle maps” found among the other tools of terroism. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/11 "2005-05-14T14:18:37Z")
**postcards** , that picture looks to me more like that area of the city was taken from another picture. When you use those programs that allow you to zoom in on any part of the world you notice some areas are better represented than others. For example London is very detailed like the Washington pictures but my home city of Leeds is at a much poorer resolution and resembles the part of the image you believed to be doctored. It is my guess that that part of the image became corrupted somehow and rather than leaving a gap in the image they copied in that part of the map from another satellite image. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/12 "2005-05-14T14:19:07Z")
I’m sure these are put together with composite photographs. It’s quite likely that in some of these cases the best photograph for a given section was of inferior resolution to the surrounding areas. That is probably NOT the explanation for the Capitol. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/13 "2005-05-14T14:28:04Z")
I noticed the same sort of blurring as mentioned by **postcards** , when I was looking at coastal Connecticut. I also don’t think it’s deliberate, because Long Beach, California (home to a really big port) didn’t seem to be blurred. And while parts of Groton, Connecticut were blurred, the parts containing the shipyard and naval base were not. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/14 "2005-05-14T15:04:15Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > …while I can understand places in Washington DC being edited, but perhaps someone can explain why Google gives [Long Beach, New York](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Long+Beach+NY&ll=40.587745,-73.659511&spn=0.033517,0.037379&t=k&hl=en) the same treatment? (Actually, heavier editing.) > > FTR, the area blocked out includes the railrod terminal, city hall, bridge to the mainland, and dozens of homes and businesses. It seems to only be the case on Google’s images. [Terraserver](http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=11&Z=18&X=1533&Y=11236&W=2&qs=%7clong+beach%7cny) has a slightly older, black-and-white photo, but there’s no problem with the image. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/15 "2005-05-14T15:10:12Z")
Personally, I think D.C. _is_ [pix **i** lated](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pixilated). 😛 [sub]Or did you mean ‘pix **e** lated’? 😉 [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/16 "2005-05-14T15:15:05Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Personally, I think D.C. _is_ [pix **i** lated](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pixilated). 😛 > > [sub]Or did you mean ‘pix **e** lated’? 😉 [/sub] :smack: Oops, umm, isn’t it both really? LOL ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/17 "2005-05-14T15:16:31Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > :smack: Oops, umm, isn’t it both really? LOL One of the best typos ever! 🙂 Ah, fun with homonyms! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/18 "2005-05-14T19:13:40Z")
Everyone in Mandrake Falls is pixelated. 😉 I still can’t figure out why [Southold, NY](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Long+Beach+NY&ll=40.587745,-73.659511&spn=0.033517,0.037379&t=k&hl=en) (my home town) is blurred this way. There’s really nothing of import there (I first thought the blur was slighly south of where it was, which would have made some sense). [Plum Island](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Long+Beach+NY&ll=40.587745,-73.659511&spn=0.033517,0.037379&t=k&hl=en) nearby makes sense, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/19 "2005-05-14T20:17:16Z")
And why did they paint “2005 Google” all over the sidewalks and parks? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803/20 "2005-05-14T21:45:43Z")
> [@Hemlock](#): > > Congressional and Executive buildings (go west til you see the oval, then north) are obscured. The white house roof is totally blanked out. > > They have anti-aircraft equipment up there don’t they? I’ve heard that they put anti-aircraft missles up there after 9/11. It makes sense that they’d want to obscure details of these installations. As for all the other places that are pixellated, I dunno. The zillions of "Google 2005"s that appear all over the maps are probably for copyright protection. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-parts-of-d-c-pixillated-on-google-maps/303803.md?page=2)