When online censorship is beautiful

By John D. Sutter, CNN

Updated 2202 GMT (0602 HKT) February 18, 2015

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A "blurred" site in Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands, as it was seen on Google Maps. Photographer Mishka Henner used this and other censored Dutch landscapes for an art series.
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A "blurred" site in Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands, as it was seen on Google Maps. Photographer Mishka Henner used this and other censored Dutch landscapes for an art series.
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The Staphorst Ammunition Depot in Overijssel, a Dutch province. The hidden zones on Google Maps are "not only bases, they're also royal palaces and fuel depots and ammunition depots and that sort of thing," Henner said. The Dutch government "used a pretty spectacular method for hiding these locations, which does everything but hide them, basically."
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The Staphorst Ammunition Depot in Overijssel, a Dutch province. The hidden zones on Google Maps are "not only bases, they're also royal palaces and fuel depots and ammunition depots and that sort of thing," Henner said. The Dutch government "used a pretty spectacular method for hiding these locations, which does everything but hide them, basically."
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This covered the De Peel Patriot Missile Site at th De Peel Air Base in Limburg province. "The imagery in Google Earth and Maps comes from a variety of sources," Google said in an e-mail. "Local aerial photography collected by imagery providers are subject to local law, and in some countries, as a condition for overflight, they require aerial photography companies to blur military installations and other areas deemed sensitive by the government."
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This covered the De Peel Patriot Missile Site at th De Peel Air Base in Limburg province. "The imagery in Google Earth and Maps comes from a variety of sources," Google said in an e-mail. "Local aerial photography collected by imagery providers are subject to local law, and in some countries, as a condition for overflight, they require aerial photography companies to blur military installations and other areas deemed sensitive by the government."
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An obscured view of The Hague. A spokesman for the Dutch Defense Ministry, Klaas Meijer, said these artful obfuscations are no longer required under Dutch law. He also said that, following a 2013 law change, "Google Maps will show military or royal locations without restrictions."
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An obscured view of The Hague. A spokesman for the Dutch Defense Ministry, Klaas Meijer, said these artful obfuscations are no longer required under Dutch law. He also said that, following a 2013 law change, "Google Maps will show military or royal locations without restrictions."
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Fuel Station Dronrijp in Friesland province.
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Fuel Station Dronrijp in Friesland province.
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