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Google-watch:"Spooks on board at Google - Google acquires CIA-linked company"

http://www.google-watch.org/jobad.html

October, 2004: Google acquires CIA-linked company

Google has acquired Keyhole, Inc., which has a database of 3-D spy-in-the-sky images from all over the globe. Their software provides a virtual fly-over and zoom-in with one-foot resolution.

Keyhole is supported by In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm funded by the CIA, in an effort to "identify and invest in companies developing cutting-edge information technologies that serve United States national security interests."

In 2003, Keyhole's CEO John Hanke was quoted in an In-Q-Tel press release: "Keyhole's strategic relationship with In-Q-Tel means that the Intelligence Community can now benefit from the massive scalability and high performance of the Keyhole enterprise solution."

The spooks in Washington now had another hook into Google, Inc.

Then in mid-2005, Rob Painter joined Google as Senior Federal Manager. He came straight from In-Q-Tel, where he had been Director of Technology Assessment.


November, 2006: Comment from Robert Steele

from John Battelle's Searchblog

It would be useful to get specifics on who at Google denied this. I am quite positive that Google is taking money and direction from my old colleague Dr. Rick Steinheiser in the Office of Research and Development at CIA, and that Google has done at least one major prototype effort focused on foreign terrorists which produced largely worthless data.

Hopefully Google learned from Bill Clinton that the denial is often more costly than the deed when it completely undermines one's integrity.

CIA is not very sophisticated. In 1986 they knew the 18 functionalities for an all-source analysis workstation (Google for CATALYST and CIA) and they still don't have it. CIA is a kludge of contractor-provided stovepipes, none of which play well together.

I like Google. I think they have enormous potential. I think they are seriously stupid to be playing with CIA, which cannot keep a secret and is more likely to waste time and money than actually produce anything useful.

Best wishes to all, Robert Steele Posted by: Robert David Steele, November 9, 2006 03:17 PM