Spying Made Easy

0 Comments | Insight on the News, April 5, 1999 | by John Elvin

Commercial high-resolution, spy-quality satellite imagery soon will be available "to anyone with a PC and a credit card," according to a forthcoming article in Technology Review, a magazine published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "What happens when almost anyone can look right down into your backyard, without your knowing he's doing it?" asked John Benditt, editor in chief of the magazine, in a statement promoting the article.

The article claims that "spy's-eye views are set to flood the marketplace." One site already up and running is www.terraserver.com, developed by Microsoft, Compaq and Kodak. It is said to be the largest database of high-resolution satellite images on the Internet and offers finely tuned images for as little as $10 each. The article asks about the implications of such offerings in terms of privacy and terrorism. The magazine has a Website: www.techreview.com.