Aerial imagery and by extension, greater transparency has always been touted as a force for good in the world; with the creation of Urthecast, not only is greater transparency possible, but it will soon be available around the world. However, even isolated aerial imagery and the greater transparency it purports to provide is not always a force for good, let alone aerial imagery on a near-planetary scale.
In spite of the obvious aesthetic appeal of such breathtaking digitised images of our planet taken from space, the fact that most of these images will be freely accessible to the public raises concerns as to what those images could be used for. Now for those who believe that Urthecast is a purely philanthropic venture created to bring to the public what on a few privileged individuals could enjoy, think again. This company, like all other tech companies, exists for the express purpose of making money, with any philanthropic contributions coming as an afterthought. While the company claims that most of the images they take will be accessible by the public, they are not obligated to publish or make available all images taken, allowing the company to preview all images before they are made public allowing the company to offer images for sale to the highest bidder.
Leaving aside the possibility of governmental interference or “patronage”, images provided by Urthecast, publicly or otherwise could also be used for corporate espionage, allowing some companies to get a glimpse of their competitors’ potential construction or research projects. Moreover, the resolution of the images, while not enough to violate privacy, can give companies the ability to analyse rival companies and their activities with minute precision allowing for particularly ruthless companies to take advantage of potential weaknesses.
In addition to corporate espionage, the sheer scale of imagery could be used for even more nefarious purposes. While the availability of constantly updated global images can be used for good such as providing advance warning of storms and limiting market volatility, it can also be used for market manipulation. Armed with advance knowledge of potential market drivers such as increased oil production or increased mining output, investors can easily use that knowledge to further their profits ahead of everyone else. Likewise, with Urthecast images, advance knowledge of potential market hazards, such as storms or political unrest allows for advance selloffs or investments. As a result, for those members of the public who are observant or for those who have access to Urthecast images hidden from the public, there is everything to gain while the rest have to settle for mere trifles in the form of pretty pictures.
Moreover, given that almost nowhere on Earth’s surface is free from observation with the presence of Urthecast, and that much of the information is open to the public, many entities such as governments and corporations who would otherwise operate in the open will be forced to either move their operations underground away from prying eyes or limit their activities that can be easily observed, depriving many of the transparency they sought for in the first place.
Undoubtedly, Urthecast was promoted as a force for good, providing tantalising images to the public and providing greater transparency at the same time. While it succeeds in providing the former, in a strange twist, when attempting to provide more transparency, it hinders the efforts of those who actually seek it, bringing the company and its image as a force for good into question.