UrtheCast will soon provide people with the ability to view high-definition videos of the world. I agree with Fergus Arnold’s blog post that states “The sense of a ‘global community'” will be redefined. There are definite benefits from capturing earth on video, like helping the UN monitor disasters, but like Fergus, I question how the company will keep sensitive information away from the wrong hands. Once sold to the governments that UrtheCast is allowed to sell to, it cannot stop those governments from using the information in ways that would infringe upon the privacy of citizens.
People are highly concerned about internet privacy as more of their communication and activity occurs online. A study in a 2007 article from the Technological Association of Georgia found that “94.5% of Americans have online privacy concerns.” With technological changes, such as expansion of social networking, personal data is much more easily accessible than before.
Society’s increasing privacy concerns are a threat to UrtheCast’s business. Both Facebook and Google are popular examples of how companies can face continual criticism over their privacy policies. UrtheCast’s success and how it will deal with privacy challenges still remains to be seen. It’s definitely a company to keep an eye on.