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Catfishing the Enemy: How Ukrainian Hackers are Discovering Russian Locations

With each new generation, warfare continues to expand and match the day’s most current technologies. Oftentimes we think of physical objects such as the introduction of tanks in World War I or fighter jets in World War II, however wartime tactics also include the gathering of information. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is …

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Federal Agencies Are Quietly Using Your Cell Phone Data

On July 18, 2022, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released thousands of pages of documents revealing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been buying location data from third parties, thus sidestepping the traditional warrant process. Agencies such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been able …

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Using Geospatial Technologies in Healthcare

The revolution of digital technology has brought outstanding changes to perceptions of data. With the combination of telecommunications infrastructure and internet accessibility, data generation has been easier than ever. Furthermore, machine learning technologies have added a new dimension to data analysis and interpretation. These advancements, along with big data availability, have provided new opportunities to …

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Location Data Implications in a Post-Roe America

A post-Roe United States will be defined not only by abortion access, but by the data collected on pregnant women. Period tracking apps are likely to become sources of data mining for prosecutors who hope to establish whether a woman is poised to seek an abortion. However, electronic data experts think period tracking apps don’t …

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Ethics of Redistricting: How Geography Represents Us

Every ten years, the United States performs its census count. Enshrined in the Constitution under Article One, Section Two, the U.S. Census is performed to get an accurate count of the country for legislative representation. In essence, the Census divides up 435 House of Representative seats to each state in the union based on population, …

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The Dilemma of E-waste

In 2020, a report by the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor found that in 2019, a total of 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of electronic waste was generated globally. Furthermore, the generation of e-waste is projected to double (74.7 Mt) by 2030 with an annual growth of 2 Mt since 2014. Now the first question comes …

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Apple AirTags and Stalking

Released on April 30, 2021, Apple AirTags were created to help keep track of items by allowing auditory pings to be sent to the tag or having the tags location connected to Apple’s “Find My Friends” app. Measuring 1.36 inches in diameter, 0.21 inches high, and weighing only 0.39 ounce, the tags are small enough …

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Who Gets Mapped? The Politics of Mapping Informal Settlements

Informal settlements, defined as housing constructed on land in which its occupants have no legal claim, and unplanned settlements, where housing is not in compliance with regulations or else unauthorized, account for one-third of the urban form and house 30-70% of the developing world’s urban population, well over a billion people. According to the United …

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The Ethics of Building a Megacity in the Desert

In 2017, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced his country’s plan to build a futuristic megacity by 2025. Called Neom, a combination of the Greek word “new” and the Arabic term for “future”, this project is certainly no small undertaking. Neom is proposed to cover an area the size of Belgium along the …

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Geospatial Technologies and War

The history of geography is also a history of warfare, and there has historically been no greater determinant of a war’s outcome or its aftermath than through a geographic lens.The Russian invasion of Ukraine is taking place during an era of unprecedented advances in telecommunications and machine connectivity. Satellite maps and geospatial technology which have …

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