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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: muman613 on June 19, 2013, 02:18:16 PM

Title: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: muman613 on June 19, 2013, 02:18:16 PM
Google's project 'loon' intends to launch several high-altitude balloons into the atmosphere in the attempt to provide high-speed internet to areas of the world where other methods of providing access are not practical.

While in theory this may sound good I myself have some reservations about this. Considering the current surveillance which our government engages is, with information provided by Google and other tech companies, maybe this project should be considered another intrusion into the privacy of the people.

I also think high-altitude balloons may facilitate visual surveillance with cameras mounted on the balloons. These derigibles would be the perfect platform to provide 24 hour surveillance from the air of entire swaths of city and country.

I put this to a poll to see if anyone else considers this to be an issue.




http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnvillasenor/2013/06/16/can-google-fly-its-internet-balloons-
wherever-it-wants/

http://readwrite.com/2013/06/19/a-handy-guide-to-google-project-loon#awesm=~o9eNh6GRzN8uAt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNCFc00oejE
Title: Re: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: Zelhar on June 19, 2013, 02:38:50 PM
They plan to fly those balloons over Africa and remote places right ? Looks like it is irrelevant from my perspective, I just wonder how they could turn a profit from such a project.
Title: Re: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: cjd on June 19, 2013, 05:13:39 PM
Some time back some company or another planned to deploy balloons like that to provide wireless internet service here in the USA... The proposal was to put up 3 balloons at points across the country that possibly could have provided direct service to all the lower 48 states...  I believe that this might be  something along them lines.
Title: Re: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: Israel Chai on June 19, 2013, 05:33:10 PM
Google's project 'loon' intends to launch several high-altitude balloons into the atmosphere in the attempt to provide high-speed internet to areas of the world where other methods of providing access are not practical.

While in theory this may sound good I myself have some reservations about this. Considering the current surveillance which our government engages is, with information provided by Google and other tech companies, maybe this project should be considered another intrusion into the privacy of the people.

I also think high-altitude balloons may facilitate visual surveillance with cameras mounted on the balloons. These derigibles would be the perfect platform to provide 24 hour surveillance from the air of entire swaths of city and country.

I put this to a poll to see if anyone else considers this to be an issue.




http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnvillasenor/2013/06/16/can-google-fly-its-internet-balloons-
wherever-it-wants/

http://readwrite.com/2013/06/19/a-handy-guide-to-google-project-loon#awesm=~o9eNh6GRzN8uAt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNCFc00oejE

if they want to  film you, they'll film you.
Title: Re: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: muman613 on June 19, 2013, 08:07:40 PM
I am reminded of the crafts which looked like Derigibles in the movie blade runner. These crafts were used to advertise among other things...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYFah28ZW5c

(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQJe5puxwYC63MWs0A3vipzU9o78clsOZASE8ACJ9jr62jRW1musQ)
Title: Re: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: Ephraim Ben Noach on June 19, 2013, 08:51:44 PM
It's an eventual threat to freedom and a tool that will be used for evil!
Title: Re: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: Rubystars on June 19, 2013, 08:54:43 PM
It will just make it easier for terrorists in third world cesspools to have internet access.
Title: Re: Google Balloons : Wi-fi provider or snoop platform?
Post by: IsraelForever on June 20, 2013, 03:04:54 AM
I don't see this as an issue.  They're high-altitude balloons.  Now let's keep this in mind:  Have you gone onto google.maps and looked at the satellite view?  It's all there already.  And you know the spies-in-the-sky that the CIA uses.  Those satellites can read the name on a golf ball sitting on the fairway.  My point:  If they want to snoop from the sky, they can already do it.  The horse has left that barn a long time ago.