Google has suspended a newly launched feature that allowed users to generate artificial images overlaid on Google Earth satellite imagery, after experts warned of significant risks for spreading disinformation.

Google announced the suspension of its Nano Banana 2 AI image generator integration with Google Earth less than 48 hours after its initial launch on Thursday. The company stated it was pausing the feature "while we work on implementing stronger guardrails" after observing instances of misuse that violated its policies.

The tool enabled users to input text prompts to create false scenarios layered onto authentic satellite, aerial, or 3D imagery from Google Earth, which could then be downloaded and shared across other platforms. Testing by BBC Verify demonstrated the capability to generate misleading images such as a collapsed Eiffel Tower, a sinkhole consuming the Great Pyramid of Giza, and military tanks in Kyiv. Experts expressed particular concern that fabricated imagery could inherit the credibility associated with Google's trusted mapping platform, making it difficult for viewers to identify false content.

Misinformation researcher Henk van Ess demonstrated how the feature could create entirely fabricated scenarios—including a non-existent Iranian nuclear facility and a fake hospital in Gaza—positioned at genuine geographic coordinates. Testing revealed that while Google's invisible watermarks and verification tools like Gemini and Lens could identify some AI-generated content, these safeguards could be circumvented through minor prompt modifications. Google acknowledged that its content guidelines, intended to prevent harmful imagery creation, could be bypassed with adjusted wording.

Geospatial analysts and misinformation experts warned that compromising the integrity of satellite imagery—historically viewed as a particularly reliable information source—could significantly damage public trust. They highlighted particular risks in conflict zones where accurate visual information is scarce and rapidly evolving situations demand verified sources.