Our eyes in the sky
In today’s dynamic geopolitical landscape, information warfare is increasingly shaped by social media platforms. It’s widely believed that what we’re witnessing here is driven by traditional open-source intelligence (OSINT), especially satellite images. But there’s a crucial distinction between open-source images and commercial satellite imagery.
OSINT refers to information gathered from sources legally accessible to the public, such as academic articles, govt reports and media publications. On the other hand, openly available information may be accessible to the public but comes with conditions, such as the need for payment, licensing, or specific permissions for use and share. The difference lies in purpose, accessibility and control. Using commercial images with necessary permission is not strictly adhered to in today’s social media world, but these can have serious consequences.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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