Google Quickly Rolls Back a Feature That Could Make Deepfake Satellite Images

Google briefly added Nano Banana 2 image generation to Google Earth, then rolled it back after warnings that it could produce convincing fake imagery.

The feature let users create AI-made visuals from satellite, aerial, and 3D map views, raising concerns about believable geospatial deepfakes.

Google said the generated images were watermarked and not visible to other Earth users, and it would strengthen safeguards.

The episode highlights how trusted mapping tools can be used to spread misinformation and make real-world verification harder.