As surveillance tools advance in both function and ubiquity, an up-and-coming satellite venture company raises an important question: how much of our privacy are we willing to trade for the promise of safety?
The New York Times reported that a business named Albedo Space is developing low-orbit satellites that can focus on specific people on Earth. The ability of the satellites to image humans despite their lack of facial recognition technology is a major breakthrough in satellite-assisted surveillance. Albedo’s satellites create privacy issues because the company has over $100 million in funding and many US DoD contracts. Jennifer Lynch, general counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said, “This is a giant camera in the sky that any government can use at any time without our knowledge.” “We should definitely be worried.”
CEO Topher Haddad said, “We are acutely aware of the privacy implications and potential for abuse/misuse.” Albedo’s creators have addressed privacy concerns. The business does, however, highlight certain possible advantages, like supporting urban planning, infrastructure monitoring, and catastrophe response. However, there are serious privacy concerns associated with these apps.
Even though some experts believe Albedo’s satellites could be beneficial, there are serious privacy problems overall. Concerns about abuses like moral policing or suppressing protests arise when one considers placing such technology in the hands of governments or other authorities.
Albedo aims to build a fleet of more than 20 vessels and wants to launch its first satellite in 2025. We may be getting closer to a future where privacy is progressively violated because of this trend. The world where Big Brother is watching is getting closer, according to Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.
There is a growing trade-off between security and privacy as surveillance technology develops. Albedo’s satellites and other emerging technologies make us reevaluate how much privacy we are ready to give up for security.