Is it possible to "hack" into Google Maps and "fake" it?
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Yesterday, after the Karachi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Karachi_airport_attack, there was an Google Maps screenshot that started going around on social media, that shows a plane in pieces. Now, I am aware that Google Maps is not live - the maps can be anywhere from 1 to 3 years old. Plus, I am super-cynical when it comes to matters like this. So, what I would like to know is, is it possible to "hack" into Google Maps somehow and create an image like the one below? Is it possible to fake it? Or, at a more macro level, what does this image show? Is it the result of some artifacts? I am not referring to someone taking a screenshot and then photoshopping it. The screenshot below is one I captured a few minutes ago, so I can vouch for its authenticity.
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Answer:
False Assumption: "Now, I am aware that Google Maps is not live - the maps can be anywhere from 1 to 3 years old." I will assume you picked that up from Google Earth FAQ page. That is actually different from maps satellite imagery. The author in this link: http://www.zagg.com/community/blog/how-often-does-google-maps-get-updated/ Mentions a frequency of about 2 Week, and says has observed it as well. Plus this should be simple to verify, just take a screenshot today of say Times Square and compare it every week for 4 weeks. The 4 screenshots side by side should confirm it. I would be hard pressed to believe in 2014, any information on my browser presented by Google would be 3 years old.
Nishith Rastogi at Quora Visit the source
Other answers
Lets look at the facts! No doubt your image is from Google Maps. I cross checked. The imagery is from 2014 too; but as we know, the maps are not live either. No, I don't think this is a hack of any sort as google has extremely secure servers and even the best of hackers would have a hard time breaking in. Having said that; yes, google search has been hacked in the past. But anybody who has access to google's highly confidential info would not bother doing such puny work. The image looks pretty real to me - the shadows align, the color, texture and tones are pretty consistent and the image does not look modified. At first look it seems like the aircraft has been bombed but on a closer look, the wings are in a good shape which is unlikely because they contain the fuel and are usually the first to go. These is no smoke or much debris in the vicinty and the central shaft is missing altogether. Also, none of the planes right next to it are affected. In the absence of data, we have to assume that the plane is undergoing some sort of heavy repair or assembly. What is alarming in general is the way the aircrafts are parked! almost touching each other. The Huffington Post reports 'Three planes are reported to have been damaged, with the attackers having boarded at least one aircraft. Huge plumes of billowing smoke have been seen coming from aircraft parked on the tarmac.' The bomb blast and smoke were contained to the cargo building as reports say. Something sure looks fishy, but I am pretty sure this has nothing to do with the recent attack on the airport. The imagery has probably been like this for a while but went unnoticed until people started looking up Jinnah Airport after the attacks.
Nishchal Agarwal
Warning: Total n00b speculation ahead. If you see the area to the immediate right of the wreckage in this picture (and it is live on Google Earth at the moment at 24.897399, 67.145052), there are bunch of planes crowded around like the two wheeler parking outside the Railway Station. Which leads me to believe that it's probably a repair / junk area of some sort. If you zoom out, you'll see that this area is way off the main airport terminal adding weight to the junkyard theory. (Even at BOM, some old non-functional Air India planes are kept off to the side). If you hit wikipedia up for Jinnah International, you'll see that the last accident here was a IL76TD that went down over the city after a possible bird strike in 2010 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Way_Flight_4412). Photos here (http://avherald.com/h?article=433ef657 ) seem to indicate that the plane was utterly destroyed. The Google Maps plane is also destroyed to bits except for the wings. Maybe it's the wreckage of 4412 still sitting there? Maybe someone can see if the dimensions check out approximately.
Akshay Panday
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