Brief Summary
In recent years, technology has moved so fast that since the advent of Google Earth, less than five years later, there are now companies that have sent their satellites into space to capture real-time images of the earth as reported by NOAA Satellites and Information (2016). This trend even received the attention of high profile celebrities and has been endorsed by George Clooney, who has collaborated with the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) to help document crimes against humanity in the conflict-ridden Sub-Saharan region. (Tovrov, 2012). Cheaper, higher resolution, and complex satellites are being sent into the earth's stratosphere, some 300 miles into the sky by companies such as Digital Global, Planet Labs, and Google, and the information data they collect is available to the highest bidder. While it promises positive influence on humanitarian crises as they unfold and prompt reaction, the technology is very new. It means that there no rules governing its use or defining its limits, binding it legally and ethically, and thus, George Clooney and his collaborators are making their rules as they see fit, that is, those that best suit their interest. It then raises the question, “Are these rules ethical?”
1. Three Interesting Facts
The companies that have used satellites to collect real-time data have also made it available to anyone they deem fit to use the information. In September 2011, SSP predicted an attack on the town of Kurmuk by the Sudan Armed Forces. The information was released to all African News networks by the following morning, possibly notifying their troops. The attack consequently, never happened. (Beard, 2014). It is an important fact because it shows how fast the data can be collected, analyzed and released to the public, private citizens, companies or organizations.
The capture of real-time images is unregulated by the government because it stops just short of the illegal privacy breach. Such issues were raised when Google Earth was unveiled back in 2005, and they answered that they were within legal limits just as one would if he/she were flying over people's houses using a plane. (Craig, 2007).This fact is important because these companies responsible for their satellites could develop even more sophisticated devices that can resolve images more than a few feet away and encroach into the invasion of privacy.
The companies that have their satellites up in the sky taking real-time images have made it clear that the data collected is available to the public (in limited cases), interested corporations such as Microsoft, and private citizens who pay for it and the government. This fact is important because they have made it into a trade where information is now sold off to the most willing buyer. It means that for the right amount of money, some malicious corporations, private citizens or even foreign governments could acquire the data and use it inappropriately.
2. Three Facts to Know
What are the regulations and laws governing the use of the satellites in space?
Unfortunately, since the companies to not breach any privacy clauses and are protected by both the First and the Fourth Amendments, the companies will continue to distribute the data they gather while claiming to do it within legal limits. However, the Restatement of Torts in the Constitution has laws that could give a citizen the right to sue the companies that distribute the data according to the clause, “appropriation of the other’s name or likeness,” and, “unreasonable intrusion upon the exclusion of another.” (Restatement (Second) of Torts, Section 652A, 1977).
Is there a way to verify the intended purpose of the data these companies sell as well as their buyers? Since companies have made it known that the data they collect is available to willing buyers, they have no methodology of weeding out potentially malicious buyers who have negative intentions for the data. The data could fall into the wrong hands and be used to threaten people and their governments. The companies should be wary of their buyers and subject them to tests to determine their credibility.
Who are the buyers of the data and why are they interested? While some companies have made it known that the data they collect is publicly shared and not-for-profit, the others that choose to sell their data could indicate some importance and sensitivity of their data, hence its price. The companies should question themselves and their buyers about the intended purpose of the data because they may be liable if the data ends up causing harm to others.
3. Ethical Problem
The issue isn’t the legality of capturing real-time data; it is about the possible invasion of people's privacy. What is the impact of the data on the people, whether it would empower the malicious players who intend to manipulate the data to their benefit at other people’s expenses? Since most of this technology is geared towards aiding the humanitarian effort, it has to consider the people at the heart of the conflict and their interests. Not all people appreciate the potential benefits of the technology and using any data that is in their likeness is unethical if they have not signed off on it. Currently, the maximum resolution allowed on the satellites is 30cm per pixel, and not all objects that are surveyed meet the minimum 30cm by 30cm. Thus, they images are inaccurate, and they might be misinterpreted during analysis. If such data is handed over to the relevant organizations preventing conflicts, they could miss crucial parts and cost the lives of many. So, the problems are in data interpretation, the intrusion of people's privacy and the distribution of the data.
4. Moral Agents and Stakeholders and their RRRs
Moral Agent: Companies such as Google, SSP, and Digital Global- they collect real-time data from satellite imagery. They also distribute this data to governments, private citizens and humanitarian organizations.
Moral Agent: Collaborators of these companies (they include endorsers of the companies like George Clooney)- they publicly endorse these companies and encourage governments to use the data to their advantage such as warding off any potential attacks.
Moral Agents: Buyers, web-hosting companies- they acquire the data and use it as they see fit. They allow access to the files publicly.
Stakeholders: Citizens- the companies collect data on them, they privacies stand to be violated, and they also benefit the most from the data.
5. Values
Companies such as Google- potential benefits in humanitarian efforts, honest, diligent
Collaborators- honest, imaginative, willing
Buyers and web-hosting companies- useful, accessible, potential harm to others, selfish
Citizens- naïve, unaware, willing, curious
Most opposite values: potential benefits vs. potential harm
6. Loyalties
Companies- themselves, the public, buyers, the government
Collaborators- themselves, the public, the humanitarian organizations
Buyers and web-hosting companies- themselves, their users
Citizens- themselves
Most opposite loyalties: companies vs. citizens
7. Six Philosophies
The six moral philosophies that govern ethics in such a case are the categorical imperative, utilitarianism, the veil of ignorance, golden mean, the golden rule and, hedonism.
The categoricalIimperative is the use of moral reasoning and obedience to respect the wishes of others. The wishes of others are at the core of this philosophy put forward by Kant, and it suggests that rules are made to be followed unconditionally. (Misselbrook, 2013). Citizens are required to follow the rule of law that governs the land.
Utilitarianism refers to doing the greatest good for the greatest number. It implies that the acts carried out have to look at the ethical benefits the actions bring to most people, not all. (Anderson, 2004). It involves providing the greatest happiness to most people. The web-hosting companies are charged with providing information that will elicit the most happiness from its subscribers and be the most beneficial for them.
The veil of ignorance is a moral that espouse total impartiality and equality, and people are not judged based on their backgrounds. Their personal information is hidden, and they are only judged from their initial presentations to prevent any biases. Companies that have launched their satellites into space to collect data do so indiscriminately without knowledge of the people’s background. Also, web-hosting companies that reproduce the same data online freely allow access for all citizens who wish to do so.
Hedonism is a philosophy that glorifies personal pleasures without regard for the pleasures and pains of others. (Anderson, 2004). It spells out that any act that brings the performer the greatest physical pleasure would be considered moral. Buyers and companies follow this rule as they buy and sell and collect data as they feel to meet their needs. They can also utilize this data however they feel like doing so.
The golden rule as it is recorded in every worldly religion states that one should do only that which he/she wishes to be done unto him/her. It advocates for all people to do good deeds for others just as they would like it done for them. It is the philosophy of reciprocity. It is also prevents harming others. Companies are responsible for only releasing data that would be helpful to all people and that which would not be used as a tool for destruction.
The golden mean as advocated for by Aristotle means that the most moral decision is the one that is at the center point of the two extremes. (Bucks University, 2016). The two sides at the ends have to make compromises and meet in the middle, with none outranking the other with regards to benefits, and alternatively, disadvantages. The companies that collect data should do so to avoid invading people’s privacies and distributing it to malicious people while providing the data to organizations that stand to benefit positively from it.
8. Creative/ Credible Alternative
Creative: Banning the collection of real-time satellite imagery, and its related information. The solution calls for a scenario whereby there is no data can be manipulated if it fell into the wrong hands. People would not have access to the data whenever they felt like doing so.
Creative: Prevent the selling of any data to anyone. The data should only be used as necessary by organizations with credibility to aid humanitarian efforts. It will prevent the distribution any sensitive data and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Credible: The government should restrict the scope of real-time data collection. Since the imagery could be quite useless without additional information such as GPS coordinates and maps, the government can restrict the scope of the usefulness of the data to anyone who obtains it. The data has proven useful to humanitarian efforts such as preventing conflicts and therefore, the government should prevent any unauthorized collection of data from areas not at risk for any crises.
Credible: Companies should screen the background of their buyers to verify their credibility and authenticate their reasons for obtaining the data. A rigorous background check would scare off any buyers with malicious intentions.
9. What Would You Do?
I would encourage the companies only to use the data to solve and prevent crises, to the benefit of all people but not sell it off just to make money. I would also urge the web-hosting companies to evaluate the content of the data they are posting on their websites to prevent any unauthorized leakage of sensitive information.
References
Anderson, K. (2004). Utilitarianism: The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number. Probe Ministries. Retrieved from www.probe.org
Beard, S. (2014). The Ethics of Drone Surveillance is Presaged by What’s Happening with Satellites. ORCHID Project. Retrieved from www.orchid.ac.uk
Bucks University. (2016). Ethical Decision-Making for Journalists. Retrieved from http://faculty.bucks.edu
Craig, B. (2007). Online Satellite and Aerial Images: Issues and Analysis. North Dakota Law Review, Vol. 83:547.
John J. Reilly Center. (2016). Real-time Satellite Surveillance Video. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved from http://reilly.nd.edu
Misselbrook, D. (2013). Duty, Kant, Deontology. The British Journal of General Practice. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov>
NOAA Satellites and Information. (2016). Real-Time Google Earth Satellite Imagery. Retrieved from http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu
Satellite Sentinel Project. (2016). Retrieved from www.satsentinel.org
Restatement (Second) of Torts, Section 652A. (1977).
Tovrov, D. (2012). George Clooney and the New Ethics of Satellite Surveillance. International Business. Retrieved from www.ibtimes.com
