Google Earth’s New USA Political Layer - Fun or a Threat?

Half hearing a garbled radio report, then half reading a garbled article, I thought that Google was replacing Peter Snow and Gallup etc. In fact, Google has simply added a new information layer which users can superimpose on Google Earth maps, to provide some information and links for the 2006 USA elections.

However, how would we feel if Google went further and superimposed on their maps: eg. Opinion Poll results; results of detailed polling about particular political issues; or even the real-time results of “exit polls” while voting was still open?…

We’ve become accustomed to newspapers and traditional broadcasters publishing increasing numbers of opinion polls; sometimes to record people’s views, sometimes apparently to bolster opinion or to influence other people or governments. Some countries (eg. France?) ban the publication of politically sensitive opinion polls immediately before elections.


(Clay Bennett, www.csmonitor.com)


The world has moved on: First it was foreign controlled satellite channels; now, many people get their information and views from the Internet; This part of the Internet is dominated by huge USA companies. Google recently filed the USA federal paperwork necessary to be a Political Action Committee (PAC), allowing it to raise money for USA political candidates and causes.

Should the UK start to consider how to ensure the integrity of UK elections and politics against undue influences from overseas?

Published by Richard S on 24/10/06 at 8:23pm

Comments

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Ideal Government

Let's say what we want from e-enabled government. Let's observe government first-hand. Let's say "Wouldn't It Be Better If" (WIBBI). Become an ethnographer of bureaucracy today! It beats getting frustrated with public services.

Categories

Comment

Anyone is free to comment. Or mail with an article if you want to be an author. I'll post it up and send you a password. This whole thing is supported by Kable.

Authors

Member List

Sign up for new articles

Locations of visitors to this page

Copyright

Creative Commons License - Some Rights Reserved Protect your Bits. Support ORG. Open Rights Group

Designed by...

visit ScoreCommunications Ltd

Statistics

This page has been viewed 590968 times

Entries: 1714 | Comments: 2785 | Trackbacks: 206
Most Recent Entry: 01/02/2009 12:43 pm
Most Recent Comment: 01/02/2009 04:11 pm

Members: 185 | Logged in: 0 | Guests: 22
Most recent visitor: 01/07/2009 12:24 am
Most visitors ever: 443 on 10/12/2005 02:21 pm