Technology · 31 July 2026
What if Google's satellite images can't be trusted?
Unsplash / Max Böttinger
Fake events can now be inserted into real satellite maps. Google's Nano Banana tool, added to Google Earth this week, lets users type prompts to alter real satellite images, and one researcher used it to insert refugees near a real border crossing. Google said it takes the misinformation risk seriously, noting its SynthID watermark labels fewer than a quarter of manipulated images.
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