That’s Not How it Works: CNN Thinks Google Earth “Blurred” Times Square After Bomb Scare

Last night there was a bomb scare in Times Square, New York, that was less a scare than an actual, you know, bomb.  The “amateurish” car bomb was an SUV carrying three canisters of propane, ten gallons of gasoline, and some fireworks.  While it’s a bit beyond our purview to cover the event itself (we’ll leave it to Mediaite), we did notice something funky on CNN.

Weekend CNN Newsroom anchor Don Lemon was alarmed that he was unable to get a clear picture of the Times Square area on Google Earth.  After using blurred footage from Google Earth as an illustration of the tight security around the area, he asked his guest, Tom Fuentes, former FBI Assistant Director of International Relations, what this might mean.

His guest’s answer was not exactly… well.  Informed.

Lemon: My question to Mr. Fuentes would be: what does that mean?  What should we garner from this when this area is even blurred out on Google Earth because of this security alert?

Fuentes: I think they don’t want you to see exactly what kind of work they’re doing, and also they’re searching other parts of the area just to be safe.

Most of you are probably already screaming this in your heads, so, in unison everyone:

Google Earth images are not in real time!

So, there’s no reason to blur the area for a temporary high security situation.  Those pictures were taken months ago.

Feeling any better?  I was, until I remembered that Tom Fuentes is a former FBI Assistant Director.

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