Overview
- Google removed the Nano Banana 2 image-generation capability from Google Earth following examples of manipulated images being shared that violated its policies, the company announced Monday.
- The experimental feature used Nano Banana 2 powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash Image to edit real satellite, aerial and 3D map data via text prompts and was intended for architects, planners and researchers.
- Google said generated images were marked with SynthID watermarks and kept separate from Google Earth’s official map layers but acknowledged those measures failed when users took screenshots or stripped metadata.
- Users quickly produced realistic falsified scenes such as a fake nuclear site, a refugee camp at the U.S.-Mexico border and a fictitious hospital in Gaza, raising warnings from verification experts about disinformation risks.
- The pause will last while Google builds stronger protections and barriers to prevent misuse and the episode has renewed calls for safeguards and regulation focused on how such tools are used and shared.