Ban lifted off high resolution satellite images

Have you ever found yourself frustrated that you could not zoom any further on some particular image on Google Earth or that some images seemed to be low on detail?

The reason behind that is not that the technology used to capture satellite images of the earth is not advanced enough. The true reason is that it is illegal to make public any satellite images in which features smaller than 50 cm are visible.

Well, it isn’t illegal anymore after the US government has recently lifted that ban thanks to an appeal filed by Digital Globe, a company which says it has the technology to show ‘key features such as manholes and mailboxes.’

Now, that the resolution ban has been lifted, tech companies jumped at the opportunity with Digital Globe intending to launch a series of satellites in August .Google also plans that, by 2016, to snap, twice a day, full images of the Earth at resolutions which had been illegal so far, making it possible for you to see if you forgot your lights on.

However questions such as privacy regulations and even national security considerations arise from this issue.