“The crackdown on Internet mapping services in China is real, and starts next month,” Ogle Earth reports, pointing to this article from the Xinhua state news agency, which Stefan helpfully translates from Newspeak. Bottom line: online maps seen inside China must be stored on servers inside China and conform to Chinese law; and online maps that show information the Chinese government doesn’t like — state secrets, “wrong” borders — will be repressed. The availability in China of Google Earth is probably not long for this world.

Not the first time the Chinese government has had an issue with foreign and “incorrect” maps. Previously: Chinese Map Crackdown Names Google; China Cracks Down on Mapmaking.