Question

What are the various methods adopted to contemplate the ethical issues raised by Google Earth? Do you think Google's response to such concerns is appropriate?

Case study about Google Earth

Answer 1

Solution:

3. Google Earth Street View was integrated into Google Earth in 2008. Google Street View provides 360° panoramic street-level views and allows users to view parts of selected cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas at ground level. The photos were previously taken by a camera mounted on an automobile, and can be navigated by using the mouse to click on photograph icons displayed on the screen in the user’s direction of travel. Users can view the street view in different sizes, from any direction, and from a variety of angles. The ethical issue raised in this case is that google earth’s this extreme ease of accessibility creates some privacy issues. As it provides more detailed information about a particular street or any area, it leads to privacy issue and in some cases the information provided by earth street view make that place vulnerable to anti-social elements. And in some cases, the earth street view clearly displays some vehicle registration numbers and some people’s faces who were on that street at the time of taking photographs. So people from such places strongly condemn this new technology implemented by Google. After that google marked people’s faces, vehicle numbers and other such details from the google earth street view. It also has taken some actions to protect people privacy, by blurring some images and details. These actions taken prevent crimes and reduced privacy issues to a certain limit.

4. If what Google Earth presented was live pictures, there would be a much bigger problem. Anti-social elements could just watch until they were sure no one was home, it would be a different matter altogether. So posting live pictures would be more vulnerable. But simply as an act of precaution, we are not supposed to say no to new technologies. Because there are so many advantages in this technology also. So let them implement it live and reduce its negatives and make it appropriate for public use by taking into concern of privacy issues also.