In what is a regressive and a remarkably myopic instance of policy making - and right up there in the Daft Government Policy Hall of Fame* along with the Draft Encryption Policy and the Insurance Web Aggregator policy - the Ministry of Home Affairs has released a draft "The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016" which will make addition of map related information or creation of even maps and sharing of location and map related data illegal without a license. The bill (download), thankfully still in a draft stage, bans the acquisition of map-related (geospatial) imagery or data without a license or security clearance. Geospatial information refers to information referenced to a co-ordinate system, including: "graphical or digital data" depicting "natural or man-made physical features, phenomenon or boundaries of the earth" or any information related to that including "surveys, charts, maps, terrestrial photos." "either imagery or data acquired…
