Genocide in Sudan: Google Restricts Download of Google Earth in Sudan

Maybe Google Needs a New Export Compliance Consultant or Lawyer

In an effort to highlight the Government of Sudan’s systematic genocide against the “non-Arab” people in Darfur, Google Earth has added information to its internet software which allows internet surfers to view evidence of the horrific acts being committed there. These changes to Google Earth went into effect in early April. At about the same time, Sudanese citizens began to notice that they could no longer download Google Earth from Google’s servers.

The initial speculation was that Sudan’s government had blocked access to Google Earth so that its people would be shielded from the harsh reality of its rule. (We personally didn’t speculate like that because we figured the people being massacred by the Government of Sudan probably already had a good idea of what was going on, and the other people in Sudan (e.g., the people of Southern Sudan) have previously themselves experienced the Government of Sudan’s tactics of using mass killings, burning down entire villages, kidnappings, slavery, rape, and denial of international aid supplies to wipe out groups of people it doesn’t like.)

According to Google spokesperson, Megan Quinn, “in accordance with US export controls and economic sanctions and regulations, we are unable to permit the download of Google Earth in Sudan”.

I disagree with Google’s reading of the Treasury Department Sudan sanctions rules as they apply to the free Google Earth. Treasury normally excludes from its prohibitions “informational materials” which closely resembles the concept of “publicly available” in the Export Administration Regulations. The free Google Earth seems to meet these definitions and be free from Treasury restrictions. Google Earth Plus ($20) and Google Earth Pro ($400) likely are prohibited by Treasury regulations, although an argument could be made that Plus may also be OK.

NOTE: OK, this is just arm chair consulting here. I don’t have all the facts about exactly how Google does business, and, honestly, I haven’t taken the time to research Google.

(And, duh, by the way, did anybody ever stop to think how somebody in Sudan could even have a computer?? Virtually all computers are subject to US jurisdiction, either because they incorporate US components or because they use Microsoft software. US trade controls prohibit all transfers of such computers to Sudan, but, obviously prohibiting the transfers does not necessarily prevent the transfers.)

Now, even if Treasury Department rules did prohibit the download of free Google Earth, anyone with any sort of internet savvy can utilize software tools such as “Tor” that make it impossible for Google’s servers to tell where they are accessing from (unless Google prevents all downloads from Tor), and thus possible to access Google Earth from Sudan.

In any event, if you want to see evidence of the Government of Sudan’s efforts to wipe the “non-Arab” peoples of Darfur, you can get the free Google Earth at earth.google.com and navigate Google Earth to the African continent where you will see a special link “Crisis in Darfur.” If you want to find out more about the atrocities in Darfur, I recommend you get the book Not on Our Watch, the Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast.

Source:

• Sudan Tribune - April 25, 2007, Author: Stefan Geens