Taiwan wants Apple to hide ‘confidential military establishments’ in iOS 6 maps

Two weeks ago, we brought you news that Apple (and in some cases Nokia) has high-quality imagery in its Maps application of military sites obscured in Google Maps. Today, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry has issued a statement to the AFP saying that it will request that Apple blurs satellite photos (or uses low-resolution images) of its “confidential military establishments,” adding that the same has been asked of Google in the past.

Taiwan’s government issued this statement as a reaction to photos published in the Liberty Times that showed the location of a new first warning system at Hsinchu Air Base. Oddly enough, images of the base appear clearer when viewed through Google Maps than via Apple Maps — though we’re not entirely sure where the first warning radar system is located. Regardless, this is the first case we’ve heard of a government department formally requesting that Apple obscure a military site, but as we suggested a fortnight ago, it likely won’t be the last.