Journal 5, June 7

Threatened by online aerial imagery

Like I have mentioned in a previous blog, the internet can create an array of security concerns, such as privacy, wherever you may be. A more recent security concern is in reference to aerial imagery offered by many internet and satellite companies. Many people feel that although it is our right by the First Amendment to have such freedoms, the internet is becoming a more and more potentially dangerous place. With certain programs or internet sites you can simply go online and after a few simple clicks, be looking at your neighbor’s backyard, the railroad tracks up the street, or even well known landmarks across the country. In recent attacks in Middle Eastern countries, terrorists have engaged in online aerial imagery sites in order to help plot their attacks. For this reason, much concern is now being raised about the issue. Multiple resolutions have been offered in order to attempt to fix this problem, one way states blurring or deleting certain pictures or aerial shots of landmarks and monuments.

I feel that no matter how hard we try, if people want information about a place, whether its aerial images or data, they will obtain it. Many satellite companies that offer aerial imagery to the public think they should be able to continue to offer these images because that’s what the customers want. I personally think this is the wrong state of mind. Many of these programs are free to begin with and if every company was limited to what pictures could be offered to the public, and then no business would be lost. Having clear aerial shots of nuclear power plants or government buildings puts us at high risk for terrorist attacks. These types if infrastructure should be required to be blurred when posted online for the publics use. Although it is true someone flying on a commercial aircraft could take pictures of what below them, which we can not prevent, it is also true that would just create a bigger hassle for them. By doing so, it would buy us more time to have the chance to figure out their plan and hopefully stop it or minimize the attacks impact.

Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/05/aerial.images.security/index.html

Additional Source:

http://www.csoonline.com/article/221515/_Ways_Google_Is_Shaking_the_Security_World?page=4