Seoul weighs approval for Google, Apple high-resolution map requests

South Korea is nearing a determination connected whether to let Google and Apple to export high-resolution geographic representation information to servers extracurricular the country. The elaborate maps, which usage a 1:5,000 scale, would amusement streets, buildings, and alleyways successful acold greater item than presently disposable connected these platforms. However, respective regulatory and information hurdles stay unresolved.

Earlier this week, South Korea’s National Assembly Defense Committee held a parliamentary audit of Google Korea. Lawmakers questioned the company’s requests for section representation data, raising concerns implicit nationalist information and integer sovereignty. The league comes 2 months aft Seoul postponed its determination connected Google’s petition to export high-resolution representation information in August, pursuing an earlier hold successful May.

A policymaker has warned that Google’s outer maps could endanger nationalist information by exposing delicate subject sites erstwhile combined with commercialized imagery and online data. The lawmaker is urging the authorities to summation authorization to show and modulate the export of high-resolution geographic information. Given that South Korea remains technically astatine warfare with North Korea, the authorities is cautious astir exposing specified locations.

The government’s last determination connected Google Maps is expected astir November 11, oregon perchance adjacent earlier, a South Korean authorities authoritative told TechCrunch. Last month, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced it would widen the reappraisal play by an further 60 days.

In February, Google requested, for the 3rd clip successful South Korea, support from the Korean National Geographic Information Institute to usage a 1:5,000 standard map, which provides overmuch greater details, successful its app and to transportation the representation information to servers extracurricular of South Korea. Currently, Google uses a 1:25,000 standard representation that includes points of involvement and outer imagery. Local navigation apps specified arsenic Naver Map, T Map, and Kakao Map are the astir fashionable among section users. These apps connection representation information astatine a standard of 1:5,000, and therefore, overmuch much accusation and detail, giving them a important competitory advantage.

In 2011 and again successful 2016, South Korean authorities turned down Google’s petition for entree to the country’s representation data. Officials made wide that support would hinge connected the institution opening a section information halfway and obscuring delicate locations, including nationalist information sites, citing information concerns. Google declined to conscionable these conditions.

After South Korea rejected support successful August, Google reportedly agreed to obscure the locations of the country’s information sites connected Google Maps and Google Earth. The institution is blurring delicate installations to code authorities concerns implicit outer imagery and is reportedly exploring the acquisition of government-approved outer information from section providers, including T Map.

Google did not instantly respond to a TechCrunch petition for comment.

Under South Korea’s Geospatial Information Management Act (Article 16), authorities survey information — specified arsenic maps and outer images — cannot beryllium sent overseas without support from the full Cabinet. Passed successful the 1970s, the instrumentality continues to underpin the country’s strict power implicit geospatial data.

Map information has go a delicate nationalist information contented successful struggle zones worldwide. The Israeli service asked Google Maps to crook off real-time postulation information successful Israel and Gaza successful 2023, conscionable arsenic it did successful Ukraine aft Russia’s 2022 invasion. And successful 2009, European regulators had urged Google to delete archetypal Street View images implicit privateness concerns.

Apple follows Google successful seeking South Korea representation data

It’s not conscionable Google making moves. Apple besides requested in June to export high-resolution representation information from South Korea astatine a 1:5,000 scale. That came aft its archetypal petition successful 2023 was turned down.

While Google keeps its representation servers extracurricular Korea, Apple operates section servers, a favoritism the authorities weighs erstwhile reviewing requests. Local servers let authorities to respond swiftly to information concerns astatine delicate sites.

Last month, South Korea postponed its determination connected allowing Apple to export high-precision integer representation data, pushing the reappraisal to December.

Reports suggest Apple whitethorn amusement much flexibility than Google successful adhering to government-imposed restrictions, including blurring, masking, oregon lowering the solution of delicate sites. The institution is besides said to program to usage SK Telecom’s T Map arsenic its superior basal representation information source.

Apple did not respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment.

Google and Apple are upgrading their maps with elaborate gathering footprints, alleyways, and precise street-level information to heighten navigation, which could besides enactment precocious technologies similar self-driving cars and drone deliveries. For South Korea, exporting high-resolution representation information could boost tourism, beforehand section businesses, and thrust astute metropolis innovation, portion giving the authorities leverage to enforce information safeguards. Critics, however, pass that the determination whitethorn chiefly payment U.S. tech giants alternatively than home users.

Google Maps has a broader planetary reach, covering 250 countries and territories, portion Apple Maps is disposable successful conscionable implicit 200 regions, per a report.