National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Photo: Privacy Fears Intensified by Tech That Knows Where You Are


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U.S. Geological Survey satellite imagery shows traffic flowing between Virginia and Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument is visible in the top left, casting a long shadow like a giant sun dial.

Such satellite data available online isn't currently at a stage that should ring privacy alarm bells, experts say. But as location-based technology advances, the concept of digital devices that can track and communicate a person's every move is raising a host of questions about user privacy.

Image by USGS/MS Research Terra Server USA - Urban Area Ortho Imagery - Washington D.C., courtesy NASA WorldWind