Do Satellites Spell The End of Privacy?
Satellite image: The incredible capabilities of satellites, once the subject of science fiction, have worked their way into the lives of ordinary people. The private sector has started accessing, cataloguing, and distributing satellite images of virtually every area on earth. Anybody with an Internet connection has the ability to search for a specific geographic location, as well as view recent satellite images of that spot. That can be both very helpful and very troublesome.
Satellite images can help people immensely, whether they are trying to find directions to a location or whether they are investigating the neighborhood of a potential new house. However, high-resolution satellite images can show details that some people would rather remain private, such as what color car they drive or how much of their land is farmland versus forest. The more technologically advanced satellites become, the less chance there is of being able to keep things private. Satellite can see objects on the ground that are only a few feet in size.
There exists a great deal potential for abuse of these images. For instance, governments may use these to spy on other countries' activities, or even on their own citizens. If the goal is to keep citizens safe, then do people have any real right to complain? However, as history shows us, governments do not always have the best interest of their citizens at heart. What if images were used to keep track of activities or possessions that are not dangerous? For example, imagine a law-abiding citizen keeps a friend's car parked for a few weeks in front of their house while the friend is out of the country. The government could decide that the car is being kept illegally without proper registration and decide to prosecute the citizen.
The worst aspect of satellite images is that ordinary citizens have no real way to opt out of them. Aside from moving underground, all of our outdoor possessions are subject to the observation of anyone. Most people are accustomed to being spied on to some extent; after all, neighbors have been spying on one another for centuries. But satellite imagery is much more dangerous because images can be stored permanently, as well as be accessed by friends and foes alike. Besides the time-honored method of bringing a lawsuit, for the time being ordinary citizens seem to have no recourse but to put up with the invasion of privacy..