Google Bans 'Walking' on Australia's Sacred Mountain Using Street View

The summit of Mount Uluru holds great spiritual significance for the Anangu, a traditional tribe of Australia. For

For Aboriginal people, this is a sacred place where outsiders are prohibited from entering. Access to the mountain itself was closed for tourists back in October 2019. However, Google users found a loophole.

Google Maps Street View allowspeople navigate its surroundings as part of a virtual walking tour. Street View contains 360-degree views of Uluru Peak, allowing users to effectively ignore the ban.

Representative of the State Parks AdministrationAustralia said it had "alerted Google Australia to user-generated imagery from the top of Uluru that has been posted on their mapping platform."

The representative of the department also “demanded thatthe content was immediately removed in accordance with the wishes of the Anangu, Uluru's traditional owners, and the National Park's Film and Photography Regulations.

Google Australia told ABC that it is working ondeleting all images, including user-generated content, allowing the ban to be ignored. The company added that the changes can take effect within 24 hours.

“We understand that Uluru-Kata-Tjuta National Park is deeply sacred to the Anangu people,” said a Google Australia spokesman.

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