Geo tagging, Metadata - Privacy Implications, Usage in Land management

Geo-tagging to ensure better land management

·        GS 2: E-gov – Applications.

·        GS 3: Sci & Tech – Applications in everyday life and their effects.

·        GS3: Security challenges through communication networks.

In a bid to ensure better and scientific management of land issues, Andhra Pradesh government has decided to geo-tag every piece of land in the State.

What is Geotagging?

 Geotagging is the process of

1.  adding geographical information (location – longitudes and latitudes, address, names, area, altitude, climate etc..)

2.  to various media (photo, video, satellite image, webpage, message etc.)

3.  in the form of metadata (data that tells about a data).

So, geotagging helps users find location specific information.

·        It is based on positions and coordinates and is often directly taken from a global positioning system (GPS) (In future it will be IRNSS – Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System).

Dangers of geotagging

Has many adverse privacy implications.

·        The automatic embedding of geotags in pictures can throw away the locational details of a place which can be used by terrorists (now a days, google maps are more useful to terrorists than to public).

·        The automatic embedding of geotags in pictures can throw away personal details also. (criminals could find out when homes are empty if the inhabitants posted geotagged and timestamped information).

·        These dangers can be avoided by removing geotags with a metadata removal tool for photos before publishing them on the Internet (Important in daily life).

·        Another newly realised danger of geotagging is the location information provided to criminal gangs and poachers on the whereabouts of often endangered animals.

·        The most important danger is the use of metadata by enemy forces.

Metadata

·        Metadata is data that describes other data. Meta is a prefix that in most information technology usages means "an underlying definition or description."

·        Metadata summarizes basic information about data, which can make finding and working with particular instances of data easier. For example, author, date created and date modified and file size are examples of very basic document metadata.

·        Having the abilty to filter through that metadata makes it much easier for someone to locate a specific document.

·        In addition to document files, metadata is used for images, videos, spreadsheets and web pages.

Advantages of Geotagging in land management

·        The move would help in better land management and crop management.

·        It would provide crop-wise details as also evidence in case of crop damage and enable officials to verify claims.

·        In terms of land management, satellite imagery would be used to cross check with the details on the ground.

·        Ultimately, there would be data base of all lands which can be used for multiple purposes.

·        It will lead to “minimum officers and maximum management”.

·        It would prevent mortgaging of same land for more than a single loan or availing loan on fake pass books. [Under this software, various banks would be able to access the details of a loan availed of by a farmer and the land mortgaged.]

·        But if not managed properly and if the databases fall in wrong hands, it would have serious consequences (can be manipulated by government adhikaris).

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