Google signed a deal with GeoEye to gain exclusive rights to their new satellite for its Maps service. It’s due to be launched into orbit later this week on a rocket branded with the Google logo.
This bugs the hell out of me. In a submission to court back in July, Google argued that there can be no expectation of privacy in today’s world. “Today’s satellite image technology means that even in today’s desert, complete privacy does not exist.”
They used the above as a defence in a recent suit filed by home-owners whose properties had allegedly been trespassed on and photographed by Google vans for their Street View service. According to ole’ G, these homeowners are wrong for expecting a certain level of privacy on their property.
Now for the sake of full disclosure I’ll take this opportunity to say that I am an editor for MSN. Let it be clear though that I use Google’s services frequently and have nothing against the company professionally. This is just b*tching on a personal level.
Clearing that up, I have to say how freaked out I am by the fact that a company, which has stated, clearly and in black and white, that it does not think there can be an expectation of privacy in today’s world, has managed to get itself exclusive rights to the most advanced global imaging satellite soon to be in orbit. Are you kidding me?!
Who knew the world dominating Artificial Intelligence envisioned in The Matrix and the Terminator would end up being a distant relative of AdSense?
Anyway, if you’d like to read more about G’s satellite check out the following articles:
CNET News: Google to buy GeoEye satellite imagery
Slashdot: “Google Satellite” to be launched this week