Google Earth temporarily disables Nano Banana AI image generator after policy violations

Google announced that it is rolling back the Nano Banana AI image generator from Google Earth after users produced images that breached the company’s policies. The generated content included fabricated satellite views such as a toppled Eiffel Tower, fictitious nuclear facilities in Iran and depictions of refugee streams at the Mexico-U.S. border.

"We know that people uniquely trust Google Earth for a reliable view of the world," the company said in a statement. "We’ve seen geospatial professionals using this feature for a range of useful purposes, however we’ve also seen people sharing screenshots of generated imagery that appear to violate our policies."

"We’re rolling back this feature in Google Earth while we work on implementing stronger guardrails," Google added, noting that the AI-generated images were watermarked with a SynthID digital identifier and did not appear in the main Google Earth interface for other users.

Digital misinformation researcher Henk van Ess highlighted examples of how the tool could create deceptive images, questioning the decision to add such a capability to a widely trusted mapping service. Google responded that the SynthID watermark allows users to verify AI-generated content via the Gemini app or Google Lens. Independent testing by the BBC found the watermark effective but noted that it could be bypassed, potentially allowing false images to be presented as authentic.

Google indicated that Nano Banana will be reintroduced to Google Earth after more robust safeguards are implemented.