In an interview with the Associated Press, the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency warned that under certain circumstances the government might seek to restrict the dissemination of commercial satellite imagery. See “Curbs on satellite photos may be needed” by Katherine Shrader, Associated Press, May 8.
A 2005 satellite image shows what appear to be launchers for the Shaheen 2 medium-range ballistic missile at Pakistan’s National Defense Complex near Islamabad. The image is analyzed by Hans Kristensen on the FAS Strategic Security Blog.
The potential implication of these evidence gaps becomes more consequential when you look at how institutions actually make decisions day to day.
Every new institution inherits something – existing incentives, existing staff, decades of prior investment that shaped what’s possible.
This is not the first time Google has agreed to censor imagery at the behest of governments, but be warned: obfuscation at this broad level poses a direct threat to the public’s ability to monitor and scrutinize government operations.
America’s affordability problem is bigger than home prices and rents. The best housing policies make it easier to build homes, and recognize how housing connects to other domains.