15 High-Profile Sites That Google Doesn't Want You to See

Ever since Google started updating its mapping software with satellite data, the conspiracy theorists have found a lot to talk about. Why were there missing chunks of map, like puzzle pieces accidentally kicked under the table? Why were some sites less focused than others? (Are you hiding something?) And why, when I input my mother's address in suburban Chicago, did I see not her house but the top of a large airplane?

Over time, many of those questions were answered: Google was working with whatever data it could get its hands on, quickly updating when possible and replacing old imagery with new. But, now that the company's programs are, for the most part, up-to-date and nearly complete with incredibly detailed photographs, there are some places on the globe that remain a bit fuzzy.

We've collected fifteen of those sites below, along with some accompanying theories found on the Web. There are sure to be more, though. If you can find any other restricted sites or have your own conspiracy theories to add, feel free to share them in the comments. One note: These are the most obvious of the blurred sites we could find. Other landmarks have been digitally modified in ways that are barely detectable. For example, zoom in on the roof of the White House. It's probably not as smooth as Google's satellite imagery would suggest. According to Focus, the real roof has been obscured so as to hide the location of "air-defense and security assets that are in place." Others suggest that what you're seeing is real, but that Google purposefully uses out-of-date imagery for sensitive government buildings.