E-Paper
Iran plans to launch 'Islamic competitor' to 'Google Earth'
The Iranian authorities have planned to launch their own 3D mapping service that would rival Google Earth, which Tehran claims is a tool for western spy agencies.
The Iranian authorities have planned to launch their own 3D mapping service that would rival Google Earth, which Tehran claims is a tool for western spy agencies.
Mohammad Hassan Nami, announced that his country was developing what he described as an "Islamic Google Earth" to be called Basir.
According to Nami, the 'Islamic competitor' of Google Earth will be ready for use "within the next four months", the Guardian reports.
He added that preparations have been made for launching the world's 3D map project and Iran is currently creating an appropriate data centre which could be capable of processing this volume of information.
Iran has often looked at western web services with a great deal of suspicion.
Other Iranian officials have echoed Nami in making similar accusations against Google, the paper said.
Iran's police chief, Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam, said last year that it was not a search engine but "a spying too," it added.
